Love and Strength, Orange and Blue
by Basstard09
Summary: Doom falls over Naruto and Hinata, and they leave the Leaf Village in search of peace... and a lot more.
1. Chapter 1: Birthday

**This is my first fan fiction ever, and I'm intended to turn it into a long story, so I'd appreciate reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or related characters.**

_**Revised version.**_

Chapter 1: Birthday.

The day: October 10th. In the Hidden Leaf Village, this day meant a day of mourning for the Leaf Ninjas. This was the day when many shinobi died in the attempt of defending the village from the Nine Tailed Demon Fox: the Kyuubi. Also, this day was Naruto Uzumaki's birthday. He was turning to be a seventeen-year-old ninja, but, unlike everyone else, he could not even think of celebrating this event. Else, he couldn't even go and cry his dead family with the rest of the village; he had the Kyuubi sealed inside his body that exact day seventeen years ago, and the villagers despised him and even sometimes they harmed him physically. So, he just lied in bed. The last year he had a great surprise on his sixteenth birthday, because Hinata Hyuuga, the beautiful heiress of the Hyuuga Clan, stepped by towards his apartment with a small homemade cake and celebrated his birthday; without even caring about anything, and even knowing about the Nine-Tails inside him, she hadn't stopped herself for showing nice feelings towards him. _She actually said it herself: she __**loves**__ me, and only thanks to her telling me that I just started to watch her… and, even after a year, she hadn't lost her feelings towards me, I can see it still…Damn it! What can I do?_ Also, he turned very happy the last winter, because he was able to accomplish the Chuunin test, and acquired the title of Chuunin. _But, anyways, that doesn't work to fill that emptiness that's still in my chest._

He watched the photo of Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, he had in his room, and complained about the fact of not being able to go and cry for him and his mother, both dead in the exact day he was born. Actually, his words, accompanied with great sadness, were these:

- Father… I'm seventeen now, heh… I cannot go and cry for you, or for mother, with the rest of the villagers, but… but I ask for you to finally rest in peace, and to watch me right now… I know that you still take care of me, so I'm really grateful for all you've done…

Naruto dropped a sour tear and threw himself back on his bed. He kept crying silently on his own, now that no one was there in the village to watch him in despair. _No one can mock me right now._ Suddenly, he closed his eyes.

As he opened them back, he found himself in a dark place. Suddenly, a voice he'd heard before spoke to him:

- Naruto, my son…

Naruto suddenly saw how two figures materialized from the darkness, with a beautiful shine around them. One was the Fourth Hokage, who stared at him with an innocent smile, and had a really large scroll on his hands. The other one was a female ninja, a red-haired and very beautiful woman, approximately of his father's age. Naruto suddenly recognized the description Kakashi gave him once about his mother and recognized her. _Kushina Uzumaki… my __**mother**__…_ He smiled to them, with tears in his eyes again, and said:

- Well, this is the closest to a familiar birthday I've ever got…

Kushina smiled and spoke:

- Foolish kid, stop playing dumb! You know, from now on, we can spend some more time with you.

Minato said:

- Soon you will receive a toad at your house, and will give you a birthday gift… consider it as a gift from the two of us, from Lord Jiraiya and from the Elder Sage of the Toads.

Naruto, amazed in his own happiness, felt something he had never felt in his heart before: true warmth. _That's a lie; I've felt it the last birthday too… Anyways, this is just beautiful…_ He heard Kushina say then:

- We both know very well that you've suffered too much, because of that Fox… Your father could only seal the Yang energy of the Fox's chakra in you, but Jiraiya and the elder toads made a great discovery, and kept it hidden from everyone just for you: a scroll, made by Madara Uchiha, in which _he_ sealed the Yin energy of the Fox.

Naruto, understanding so many things at that time, perhaps _too many_, listened to his father:

- The toad that will come to you will teach you, first of all, how to use the Eight-spiked Star Sealing Technique.

- I've already learned that skill, father, on my own, and I use it quite often. It's quite handy, actually.

- That's just great! Then, I guess you know that you'll have to release that Yin energy from the scroll and seal it inside your own body, just right where the other seal is, in order to complete the Nine-Tails.

Naruto got shocked when he heard the plan, but Kushina calmed him down with a question:

- Isn't the Nine-Tails too aggressive and tough to control, all the time trying to possess you in order to kill people to satiate his blood-thirst?

Naruto nodded, and she continued:

- The Yang energy from the Nine-Tails, just for the fact of being Yang energy, is of an aggressive nature, and, if you add it the strength of the Nine-Tails, undoubtedly it's a fearsome energy that will lead you to a difficult inner strife. If you add the Yin energy that corresponds to that Yang, you'll balance it, and, as old as you are, you'll know how to handle properly. Even, if the chance comes, you'll be able to make friends with it.

Naruto asked:

- But, how do I do that?

Minato explained, patiently:

- The toad will explain step by step. Our birthday gift for you, dear son, will be a complete, conscious and more powerful Nine-Tails.

- And also a more controllable Nine-Tails, Naruto.

- One last thing, son.

- Please, speak.

- All this last year we've seen you deal with your feelings, and we also wanted to give you some small advice.

Naruto stared at them, and thought of Shikamaru, who always said that _parents were just too troublesome and wanted to get their noses into one's life_, but now he wanted his own parents to do so, because he needed to know so many things that were just too hard to comprehend for him. Kushina said:

- Listen carefully. I know that you've always had a crush on that pinky-headed doll that's with you on Team 7, but she has made you quite clear that she wants nothing to do with you. She actually _played with your feelings_ when you went to the iron Country the last year, just to avoid you from going to "save" that Uchiha that will only be able to see the light if someone convinces him properly to take off the veil of revenge from his eyes.

Minato spoke then:

- On the other side, you've got a girl who's totally in love with you; a very beautiful, sweet, adorable, kind, strong, agile and brave girl, turned shy because of her lack of self-trust, and because of the constant rejection she receives from her own family. _Her own family makes her miserable, _Naruto. She had tried, during almost all her life, to send you signs, so you could even notice that love she feels for you at least once.

Kushina said, teasing:

- But you're just such a knuckle-head, kid. Even when you're doing good by befriending that girl, you still don't realize many things about her, and that hurts her. Even when she's pressing herself a lot to persevere, she's about to lose her last strength, and you must not allow that to happen, or I'll kill you myself. And believe me,_ I can_.

Naruto suddenly watched the person show up over the heads of his parents:

- It's her…

- She understands all what you've been put through, because she suffered the same fate, on a different environment. Also, she's always been there for you, and her heart jumps in joy whenever she sees you smile for real; don't even imagine when you actually make her feel she's appreciated: she can be as strong as the Kyuubi itself for you. Perhaps you cannot understand it all right now, but, when you receive that Yin energy boost from the Nine-Tails, you will also balance yourself, and you will be able to balance your feelings and understand what we're telling you.

Minato's words got deep into Naruto's heart, and Kushina would make him understand with her last words:

- She already loves you, without any conditions, but she is the shyest girl in the village. Go carefully with her, Naruto; allow her to open herself to you gradually, give her the strength to do so by pouring your heart open for her, and don't forget to remember what she likes of you. If you do so, you'll have the perfect woman to share the rest of your life with.

Naruto, crying tears of joy and embarrassment, and blushed in an almost-Hinata-like red tone, said:

- I-I don't know how this could have been if you hadn't died, but right now I'm just so thankful of having you two as my parents…

Minato and Kushina let tears fall over their cheeks, and the Fourth Hokage opened the scroll, making hand seals that he remembered very well: Rooster, Horse, Monkey, Boar, Tiger. Before he bit his finger, both said:

- Happy Birthday, dearest son.

The summoning was complete, and Naruto woke up. He found out that it was almost the dusk hour, and also he found out that he was on the Sage Mode. He saw a small smoke cloud, and found a toad with a huge scroll. The toad spoke:

- Very well, Naruto Uzumaki, are you ready for this?

- It's now or never! – Naruto said, with sweet tears on his eyes.

The toad opened the scroll, and ordered Naruto to break the seal. As this was done, a silver chakra started to fill the room. The toad told Naruto to do the seal on his own belly, and, slowly, Naruto made a new seal over his first one, and the silver chakra started entering his body through it. As this chakra entered his own body, he realized that it also made him feel how it mixed up with the red chakra of the Fox inside his body, and more specifically inside his heart. When the last amount of silver chakra entered his body, he felt how those two chakras, red and silver, covered and warmed his body; he felt as he would faint… and he finally did.

End of Chapter 1.


	2. Chapter 2: Humiliation and Runaway

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters.**

_**Revised Version… again.**_

Chapter 2: Humiliation and Runaway.

Hinata Hyuuga was sitting alone in her room, crying, totally shattered on her inside. That day has her saddest day in her whole life. _Even when it's Naruto-kun's birthday, I'm not even in the mood to go to him… he wouldn't even want me to waste his time with my own issues…_

Hinata, still at her sixteen years, felt completely stupid because of her shyness. She felt like a great idiot because she didn't accomplish any of the things she'd proposed herself to do. She felt weak when she couldn't show her true force to her own family.

Her cousin, Neji Hyuuga, knows that she is really strong, and he actually realizes and accepts the one thing (or person) that makes her so strong. Her teammates and friends from the Team 8 spend a lot of time with her, and they know that she has grown up a lot. And, on the other hand, there was Naruto.

She became strong, agile, and acquired the self-confidence she lacked so badly when Naruto was around her. She even feared the physical contact; her innate shyness, plus the constant humiliation and despise she received from her own father, plus the way she was raised inside a so important Clan as the Hyuuga, made her avoid the physical contact. But she desired it in secret. She _needed_ it. And Naruto had provided her with tons of it. _I just love him… but, no one in here would approve it at all… besides, he doesn't see me like that at all…_

She started to cry with more strength, and remembered the scene that morning in the yard of the Hyuuga compound. Hinata hadn't been able to defeat her younger sister, Hanabi Hyuuga, who was twelve, in a training match. She _knew_ that she couldn't train with her family, and she actually didn't, but her father, Lord Hiashi Hyuuga, had insisted her to do so. The result was obvious: Hinata wouldn't open herself to her family, and Hiashi got disappointed of that "Clan's Failure" he saw in her. He named his more confident sister the heiress of the Clan Hyuuga, and humiliated her in front of the whole Clan, degrading her to the point of threatening her to receive the Caged Bird Seal.

Seeing the sky getting darker every moment, and realizing how much her heart ached, Hinata got prepared secretly. She saved her most prized things, sealing them in scrolls, put her weapons and saved cash in her pouch, and put the scrolls in her backpack. She would flee from the house, and leave the Hidden Leaf Village.

Once ready, she told herself that she had to inform Naruto of her escape. As no one else was at home, Hinata jumped from her window and left, not even leaving a trail. Hinata was an expert at chakra control, and she could hide it at will, so she would be invisible even for a Byakugan. Showing her prowess, she left the Hyuuga compound, and no one noticed her runaway.

When she made it to Naruto's apartment, she saw through the window, and found him fainted on the ground, shirtless. She blushed furiously, but she had to take action immediately, so she opened the window and jumped inside Naruto's apartment, waking him up. Naruto noticed the guest, and saw her with a fake smile on her face, but he noticed her really sad eyes, about to drop tears:

- Hinata… What's wrong?

- Naruto-kun… I…

Naruto noticed himself more observing, and, when realizing that not only she was crying bitterly, but that also she projected on her face the possibility of not seeing each other anymore, plus the fact that she had a full backpack on her back, asked:

- You're… running away from your house?

- Y-yes… from the village, actually… - Hinata smiled, still blushed, dark red: - D-don't know yet w-where I'll j-j-just go… b-but I wanted to let you know…

In that instant, both felt how a massive crowd gathered around that building, with torches, spiked sticks and stones, and shouting obscene insults and curses. Naruto got totally worried, but Hinata already knew the reason of all that; she had actually _seen_ it in first row, during Pain's invasion, a year ago. One man beneath the crowds, with a powerful voice, screamed:

- LET'S NOT BURN A WOODEN NINE-TAILS THIS TIME!! LET'S BURN THE _REAL_ ONE!!

Hinata hugged Naruto, as she saw him cry. Naruto did not want anyone to get involved with this kind of situations, least of all allow Hinata see him, the one person who gives her the utmost strength to face her life, like that: weak and powerless, against the threat of those whom he swore to defend with his own life. Hinata, watching the scene, doubtful, finally took a breath and gathered all the courage she had in this one sentence:

- R-run away with me, N-Naruto-kun…

Naruto, totally surprised, broke the hug apart to see Hinata. Her face was blushed, and tears were falling through her cheeks, but her smile was serious, and her eyes were full of determination. She continued:

- Please…? I-I'm begging you, N-Naruto-kun… D-don't leave m-me alone…

This last sentence activated Naruto: _She really wants me to go with her_. Those last words rushed into his psyche and reverberated in his heart, causing a great earthquake that shattered all he had inside and made space for one person to replace it all: Hinata Hyuuga. Naruto agreed with her, and both started to gather all of his stuff and put it into several scrolls, then drawing the scrolls into a large backpack, and then gathering his weapons and money, to keep them inside his pouch. Naruto took Hinata's hand with strength, and said, after checking and saving a particular scroll, with renewed strength:

- Prepare to leave this place, Hinata! I'll take you to a place where we can live together!

This almost made Hinata faint, but she needed to be conscious to leave the village with Naruto. _Living with him, alone, far away from everything that keeps us so depressed…_ Hinata felt that this was a dream, but it started becoming true when Naruto started pulling her outside the apartment, searching for a breach to escape. As he searched the windows of the building, he decided to make a known hand seal. Suddenly, a Shadow Clone of Naruto showed up, and the original one gave him a special kunai: a three-spiked blade that he received from Kakashi as a gift for becoming Chuunin, and that belonged to the Fourth Hokage. The Clone ran back into the apartment, while Hinata activated her Byakugan, with no need of hand signs, and saw that the whole building was starting to take fire, as the villagers gathered around it started to throw oil and torches to its walls and windows. The clone jumped to the ceiling and threw the kunai with an unknown strength, and it reached quite very far. As he disappeared, Naruto realized it was time, and said:

- I've got to carry you if we want to get out of here fast!

- B-but-!

Naruto didn't even give her any time to say a word: he had already grabbed her by her waist and carried her, one arm surrounding the back of her waist, and the other one surrounding the back of her thighs. Hinata complained desperately while Naruto ran through a window. All of a sudden, Hinata noticed that they were in front of the Gates of the village. Naruto put Hinata down carefully and found the kunai of his father, retrieving it from the floor. Hinata was still blushed and surprised, but quite relieved of not having to face that murderous crowd. They started to run, handheld, and Naruto matched Hinata's speed, as he knew she was not as fast as him.

As he checked out the village for the last time, he turned to see Hinata's face. She had a magenta-colored blushed face, glassy eyes, but a genuine smile on her lips. _Naruto-kun carried me out of the village, a-and ran away with me!_ As they kept running, no turning back, heading to the southeast, Naruto smiled too, with determination in his eyes.

End of Chapter 2.


	3. Chapter 3: Freedom

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor its characters.**

_**For the third time, and I hope the last one, Revised Edition. Man, I write like crap!**_

Chapter 3: Freedom.

Naruto found himself, once more, in the usual room inside his mind. He checked out the room and found out that everything was as usual, excepting for two things. First of all, the great cage with the seal was just gone for good, as if it was never there; this made Naruto wonder if he had done the right thing. The second difference between then and now was that usual roommate was not a giant red fox, eyes spilling anger and blood-thirst in its growls. Now, there was a nine-tailed fox, perhaps the size of Akamaru, with a totally different fur. _Red as the sun on the dawn, and blue as the sky in the daylight…_ This fox spoke with feminine voice:

- Naruto Uzumaki… hello…

Naruto, surprised to see this _new_ Kyuubi, asked:

- You, are you…?

- Yes. This is my complete form.

- But… why?

- Let me explain.

The fox gave a couple of steps forward, stepping close to Naruto. He checked on its amber eyes and found no hidden intentions. All of a sudden, the fox started to shift shape, and it turned into a woman. More or less the same size of Hinata, her hair was white, with red fox ears on top of her head. Her perfect figure, with no exaggerations in its proportions, was covered with a blue dress, lapis-colored fabric, with furniture around her chest, _casually_ shaped like a fox-head-shaped ruby, and nine ruby-colored waves coming out from it. She has no shoes. Her amber-colored eyes looked deeply into Naruto, and she said:

- Your father did not split me, Naruto. Instead, he tried to _reunite_ me, but after sealing my Yang energy in your body, he had no chance to live for trying to complete me. I had to wait until you'd matured a little to try the second seal… and I know beforehand that I've caused you so much pain, Naruto. I'm really sorry.

- It won't matter anymore… um, how should I call you?

- Well… - The lady smiled to him, quite innocently: - you can call me as always. Does that fit you?

- Fine for me. You are much quieter now, as I can see, Kyuubi… - Naruto started remembering what just happened a while ago - you helped me when I completed the seal, and also during my escape with Hinata… Don't mean to be rude at all, but, why are you helping me at all? Won't you take a chance to get rid of me at last?

Naruto was quite shocked to see that Kyuubi smiled, closing her eyes as she got blushed:

- If I come out now, every single person in the world will want me dead, or try to catch me and seal me inside someone else… damn, if Madara Uchiha lays his hands on me again, he'll finally do his plan and make me return to that damn Juubi… Inside you, nevertheless, I'm quite at peace, Naruto. I'm complete now, and only I can thank you for that.

Naruto stared at her, quite amazed to hear the Nine-Tails talk like that to him. Else, she was just beautiful, but that's just an illusion. _She can take the shape she desires, anyway, so I'd better not get used to this one._ She continued:

- You can count on me from now on, Naruto; I'll give you my power and my wisdom when you need them. And don't worry, I'd rather have you controlling your own body; but, in case of any danger, I shall take control under your consent and advice.

- That sounds quite reasonable, Kyuubi, thanks. Several times I was about to kill my friends because of not being able to control your Yang energy, and I don't want Hinata to get hurt anymore. Not now, that I can finally see her happy.

- I know that, kid. I could even help you with her, as I can see through her (and anyone, just keep that in mind) like an open book. You should go carefully with her. Make her feel comfortable and safe with you, and trust her the same way; let her discover your good side. Don't suffocate her, so she can overcome her shyness on her own, and she'll be yours. Be patient.

- Thanks, Kyuubi.

- Now you must wake up. Hinata calls for you.

Kyuubi, so as the room, vanished in darkness, and then he heard the sweet voice of his partner:

- Naruto-kun… Wake up…

Naruto opened his eyes and saw Hinata's face; smiling and blushing while seeing him get up. He smiled to her and said:

- Good morning, Hinata… - Naruto's following question made Hinata blush furiously and stutter: - You seem to have slept quite well, isn't it?

- E-eh, u-um, Naruto-k-kun, y-y-yes…

_Dammit!! Why now?! _Naruto laughed softly, as he got up, while seeing her overgrowing blush, now ruby-colored:

- Heh, heh, come on, Hinata. Take a deep breath. That kind of blushing can do no good to you.

Naruto's gentle smile made Hinata stare fixed on his face, watching it as she breathed more and more slowly. Even so, Naruto's next sentence almost made Hinata's heart to stop:

- I like it when you smile, Hinata. You look… pretty nice.

Hinata's blush turned crimson, and Naruto stared at her, with a curious look. Hinata had no words to describe how she felt, and even if she had them, she wouldn't even spell them, as she was just blabbering nonsense while she turned to other direction, where Naruto was not on her direct sight._ I look nice! He likes… when I smile… _Suddenly, she heard his voice, soothing as always:

- It's okay, Hinata. Calm down, please. I won't tell you anything else, all right? Come on…

Still nervous, she said, while breathing and trying to recover her _natural_ color:

- Na-Na-Naruto-kun… Are you hungry?

- Sure as hell, Hinata. Shall we have breakfast? – Naruto's voice was softer, calming her down: - I'm starving.

Hinata nodded, turning towards Naruto, ashamed. She saw the kid draw an apple from his backpack and she suddenly remembered that she hadn't brought a single thing to eat. She lowered her sight, furious, and forming tears in her pearl-like eyes. As he heard her mumbling things, Naruto checked on her and got worried:

- …goddamn it… I-I'm such an i-idiot… Hinata, you're such an idiot…

- Hinata, are you okay?

Hinata, even more ashamed, turned her face aside, to not reveal her tears to Naruto. _Now he'll believe I'm not worthy to attain the title of Chuunin… Stupid Hinata! A thousand times stupid! _Naruto checked Hinata's backpack and found that she hadn't packed any food. He put a soft hand on her shoulder, comforting her a little, and spoke to her softly:

- Hinata, calm down… don't cry, please…

- Na-Naruto-kun… but, I didn't… I'm so stupid…

Hinata felt a hug that surprised her, and she blushed to an even darker red tone. His strong arms were tender when they wrapped her; she felt protected inside his hug. As she noticed that Naruto, hugging her from her back, offered her an apple, she heard his voice, finally whispering at her ears, captivating her:

- Don't worry, Hinata… that's happened to me countless times, and in even worse situations. That something like this happens once to you, it isn't that bad at all, I guess… That doesn't make you useless…

Hinata felt like she was in heaven, but her shyness didn't allow her to react properly, and the only thing she could do was turn at him. He spoke, offering the fruit again:

- Take, Hinata, eat this apple… now, I don't like how you look, crying like that…

Hinata felt how her arm moved, shaking, towards the apple. As she took it, she felt his calloused but warm fingers, and Naruto felt that she wanted to stay there, feeling his fingers. He said, still whispering:

- Else, Hinata… the stupid ones are the Hidden Leaf's villagers, uncapable to see that their most powerful shinobi are those they treat worst… and, now, their _two most powerful_ ninjas have gone for good…

- Na-Naruto-kun… you… you think that… I'm…?

- I've always believed in you, just like you believed in me. We shall train together, and we'll turn even stronger, Hinata. Now, please, eat. We'll reach the first village by noon.

Hinata recovered herself and took the apple, thanking him for it, totally ashamed. Naruto said:

- Hinata, you are my only friend and my best friend right now. If it wasn't for you, I'd be part of the ashes that once were my apartment right now. We're free from the suffering and the humiliation now, we're free from the Hidden Leaf… you can be relaxed now…

Naruto released the hug and started eating. Hinata dried her tears and said, blushed:

- I'm calm now, Naruto-kun, because… because I've got you… b-by my side…

Naruto smiled to the girl, showing a small blush on his face; and the fact of having Naruto blushed because of a compliment she told him made her smile. She started to eat the fruit quietly, and watched Naruto eat his and draw another one out from his backpack. _Naruto-kun… blushed… because of a compliment… I-I gave him…_ Hinata's face changed completely, getting shyly happy, and noticing that this made Naruto happier. As they ate some more fruits, they sealed the sleeping bags on their scrolls and left.


	4. Chapter 4: Motives

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.**

Chapter 4: Motives.

The missing-nin couple continued through their way towards the southeast, and for the noon they arrived, finally, to a more-or-less large village. Hinata knew that, while still on the close grounds to the Hidden Leaf Village, they could still be recognized. Even so, Naruto seemed to be worried about something else.

They walked slowly, searching for some specific place. As they found a market store, Naruto entered in it, making a sign to Hinata so she could follow him. She entered right after him, and asked him, when she saw him so worried:

- Naruto-kun… what's wrong?

- Lower your chakra, Hinata. Someone's after us; and it's quite close. –Naruto's face was quite serious when he looked at Hinata.

She did as she was asked, and noticed that he did so too. Because of them both reducing their chakras for not being found, both started to feel a bit cold, even when there were not many rainy days lately. The autumn got colder every day, and now they had the _unpleasant_ chance to notice it. Hinata glanced to Naruto, focused on his ears, and noticed that _he_ was acting like a real Chuunin now, showing that the fact of him becoming a _captain_ ninja during the last winter was not exactly because of luck, or a pre-arranged deal, as many used to say in the village… but that didn't even care at all right now; they were now renegade ninjas from the Hidden Leaf Village, by their own free will. After a moment, Naruto said:

- Your family's after us, Hinata…

Hinata got terribly scared at the mere mention of her family, and Naruto noticed how the girl turned pale. Naruto made a sign to her, and then took a basket, searching for stuff to purchase. He whispered to her:

- Hinata, how vulnerable is the Byakugan against Genjutsu?

Hinata noticed that Naruto was speaking to her just a couple of seconds later. As she saw two Hyuuga ninjas enter the store, she ran to Naruto's side, and then he noticed them. Naruto felt how the Nine-Tails' chakra fled from his body and wrapped both him and Hinata. Naruto hugged her and she returned the gesture, scared half to death. The two Hyuugas walked beside them, both with really furious faces, and Hinata noticed that they didn't even look at them. On the other side, she felt the chakra that came from Naruto, and it was warm, and she didn't want to have to break that hug at all. When the Hyuugas left the store, they heard a voice outside of it:

- They're not here, Lord Hiashi. That was probably a Shadow Clone or something.

Hinata recognized the voice of her father, but she didn't recognize at all the lack of control in his temper:

- Goddamn kids! I should've _done that_ yesterday! Let's go!

Both felt how the chakras of the three ninjas faded away, heading towards the Hidden Leaf. When they got far enough, Naruto felt the chakra that left from him return to his body. _Thanks, Kyuubi, we owe you one._ Naruto heard on his mind:

- None of that; please. Let's go purchase the supplies we shall need.

Naruto returned to consciousness, feeling how Hinata was shaking a bit. He asked softly:

- Are you okay?

Hinata, still frightened, took the deepest breath she could ever take, and, after exhaling, she answered:

- Y-y-yeah, N-Naruto-kun… W-what are we g-going to b-buy?

Hinata, noticing herself still tightly hugged to Naruto, blushed to a pink tone. She kept breathing to calm herself down, while Naruto told her:

- Well, I was thinking about some cooking pots, equipment for cooking in a camp fire, and some supplies to make our own food.

- U-um… okay…

- Yes, I'm already looking forward to taste your food again, Hinata; I remembered it was very tasty.

Hinata's blush rose to a ruby-like color again, and saw Naruto smile at her with his eyes closed, taking a hand to mess up with his hair, as he did when he was a bit nervous. She glanced to the floor, smiling, and said:

- I-I think so too, N-Naruto-kun… I shall c-cook for both of us…

- Let's go then! Our trip will be quite long, Hinata!

Both recomposed themselves and purchased what they needed from that store. As they found what they needed, and paid for it all, they sealed the stuff in two empty scrolls. As they left the store, Naruto said to Hinata, kind of relieved:

- Well, that was close…

- Um, y-yes…

- We'll have to sleep outside the village, what do you think?

Hinata noticed then that the sky was entirely filled with dark gray and black clouds, and said, worried:

- The rain, it will be strong… and, it'll fall t-tonight, Naruto-kun…

Naruto, checking on the skies also, noted the advice from Kyuubi:

- She's just right, kid. You'll really want to stay under a ceiling today, and preferably in a second floor…

Naruto, going back to the _real_ world, replied:

- Well then, you're right, Hinata. Let's go search for an inn. Don't know exactly what time it is, but sure it's close from the dusk.

They searched around town for a while, and they finally found a three-storied inn. As they entered, they met an old man who attended them priggishly:

- What is it, kids?

- There rooms? – Naruto's tone impressed the old man: it was quite determined and upset. As the elder detailed the young couple, he noticed them as ninjas, and changed his voice to a quiet tone:

- I've got one on the second floor. The cost: 200 ryou for a night, pay first. If you got food, you can use the kitchen for free. Here you go.

Naruto received a key as he paid. The key had the number 9 printed on it. _Could this be casual, somehow? Heh!_ Both got to the designed room, and found that it was quite simple: a big bed, a window with heavy curtains, a leather chair, a door that led to a bathroom and a small closet. Naruto checked the chair and realized it was extensible. He said, as he glanced to Hinata:

- The chair is mine; you can sleep in the bed.

Hinata saw how Naruto unfolded the chair as she sat on the bed. She realized that it was quite comfortable and replied:

- O-okay, Naruto-kun. I'll go downstairs to make dinner…

- When you finish, bring the food up here. I'd rather eat only with you, Hinata.

- S-sure, Naruto-kun! – Hinata's face was blushed, but she was smiling happily, with eyes closed.

Naruto saw Hinata take the two cooking pots and some supplies, and get out of the room. Naruto smiled widely as he noticed Hinata's smile before she left. He spoke to Kyuubi, closing his eyes and finding her in the usual place:

- I speak with Hinata now, and I start to notice so many things about her… It's just fascinating…

- Someone's falling in love! Ha, ha! – Kyuubi was teasing Naruto, and he knew it, but he just replied, sighing:

- Well, yes, that's true…

- Okay, kid, now it's time for you to go eat. Hinata's already on her way there, and you'll like what she cooked. Go on.

Naruto heard the knock at the door and ran to open it. As he did so, he found Hinata with the two pots, one on each hand. She said, as she smiled and blushed slightly:

- D-dinner is… ready, Naruto-kun.

- Heh, heh, thank you, Hinata. Come in.

Both sat down on the floor, and Naruto saw that, inside each pot, there were rice cakes. In the first one, the rice cakes had a Naruto's-face-like design, and in the other one, the cakes had a Hinata's-face-like design. Naruto grinned and said:

- I know you were just a great cook, Hinata, but I've completely forgotten of these rice cakes, heh, heh.

Hinata giggled and Naruto got amazed when he listened to her sweet voice giggle. He said then:

- Hey, Hinata… I've never heard you laugh before, you knew that?

- R-really?

- Yes… - As Naruto tried to take a cake, he said, quite lightly: - I wonder what made you want to… leave the village…

Hinata turned to a side and blushed, as her face turned melancholic:

- It's… it's my f-family, Na-Naruto-kun… - Naruto got a bit closer to listen to her, as her voice turned soft: - My father… he humiliated me, N-N-Naruto-kun… he p-put me to fight a-a-against H-Hanabi, my y-younger sister… - As she started sobbing, he got even closer to her: - H-he m-made me see that… t-that I'm worth n-n-nothing…

- Hinata, no…

- He humiliated me, in front of t-the whole C-Clan… He… he b-banished me… and… -then, she let a tear fall through her cheek: - and even c-considered p-p-putting the Caged Bird Seal on m-me… t-they hate me, all of them…

Hinata broke in tears and Naruto got closer to her, comforting her as he whispered to her ear:

- Hinata, please…

- Naruto-kun!

Hinata hugged Naruto in an instinctive reaction, and hid her face on his neck. Naruto caressed her hair softly as he whispered to her:

- Hinata… Come on, take it easy… Get yourself rid of all that you've got inside, come on…

Hinata held Naruto with strength. She didn't want to let him go, and he realized that. He lowered his hands and caressed her back up and down, smoothly, and whispered to her:

- If you really want to, you can punch me to relieve yourself… but don't kill me, okay?

Hinata giggled again and said, sobbing with her soft voice:

- N-no, Naruto-kun… but, thanks anyway…

Naruto felt that the embrace was still strong, and that she still wanted to be hugged with him, and said:

- Hinata… Forget about your father, okay? He knows _nothing_ about you… - emphasizing on the word _nothing_: – He hasn't seen you… the way I see you, every time we're together on missions…

- N-N-Naruto-kun…

- Else… not only you're strong, Hinata; you're the strongest among all the Hyuuga Clan… you defied your Clan and its paradigms, and ran away… that requires a lot of strength, Hinata… and… - Hinata was breathing fast, and Naruto could feel her accelerating heartbeats: - And, I ran away from the village, just because you gave me the strength I needed to do so…

Hinata, blushed as she heard Naruto's words, smiled. _Naruto-kun defied his own fate because of me giving him strength…_ She said:

- T-t-thank you, Naruto-kun…

- Hey, Hinata…

Hinata felt how Naruto grabbed her carefully by her shoulders and put her in front of him. She just stared fixed into those blue eyes, so strong and full of a wisdom forged by the surviving struggle in his childhood; eyes capable to terrify whoever faced them; but now those eyes were just gentle and lovely. _He sees me now with different eyes…_ He spoke:

- I kind of feel bad, when you call me "Naruto-_kun_", you know? – Hinata got surprised to this reaction: - You make me feel as if I was your **boss**, Hinata, not your **friend**…

Hinata noted that Naruto was now turning a bit melancholic, and said to him:

- B-but… N-Naruto-k – She noticed she was about to say it again and stopped, resuming the statement: - I… I-I feel so much r-respect for you…

_A thousand times IDIOT, Hinata! Don't sink him into that vicious circle again, make him happy, dammit! It's your damn chance!_ She stared at Naruto and made a great willpower effort to defeat her own shyness:

- Y-you've b-b-been my… m-my only true friend… y-you've drawn me out of m-my depressing world, and I'm still such a…

Naruto looked at her, still a bit down, but interested in her crimson-colored face and her whitish-lavender-colored eyes. She noticed that he also blushed, and told to him, with a courage she discovered she had due to a sudden spark in her heart:

- I-I can't k-keep being this stupid… eh… H-help me get free, Naruto! Please!

She jumped back to hug Naruto, but this time she didn't cry. Instead of that, she caressed his blond hair, defeating herself after a tough battle. She whispered, as Naruto smiled softly:

- N-Naruto… I-I want… - All of a sudden, Naruto felt her warm lips in his cheek, reaching it shyly and kissing him softly: - I w-want you n-not to regret ha-having c-come with me… N-now, l-let's eat; these rice c-cakes are… d-delicious, Naruto…

Naruto, blushed, saw a totally blushed and shaky Hinata staring in front of him, smiling as she turned her sight away shyly. She got both pots close to them slowly, still her pulse accelerated. _What did I just do? I hope I didn't just throw it all away with that…_ Even so, her heart claimed, trying to jump out of her chest: _Finally, little girl_, and the smile on Naruto's blushed face was more than enough compensation for that enormous effort. Both sat again and ate, talking about the food, their missions so far, and other stuff. Naruto spoke quite a lot for both, recovering his good mood, joking and telling stories, and Hinata laughed with both of them. Even she dared to tell stories of her own, and she was completely capable of capturing Naruto's full attention; that almost made her faint, an annoying habit she still had to get rid of. After dinner, both cleaned everything and went to sleep: Hinata on the bed, and Naruto on the extended chair. The rain started to fall fiercely as they turned off the lights.

End of Chapter 4.

This one was quite longer, and I might say that the next ones can also be as long as this one, and a lot more interesting, I swear… =) Please review, no matter if you enjoyed it or hated it.

P.D.: Hope this time I don't have to check it again too.


	5. Chapter 5: Nightmare

**Disclaimer: ****once more, I don't own Naruto or its characters. **

Chapter 5: Nightmare.

Hinata shook nervously in bed, eyes closed, and sweating cold. Naruto also wasn't sleeping very well at all, as if he was disturbed by something.

Hinata opened her eyes and found herself in a lightless dungeon. She realized she was chained to a wall, because she felt her wrists hurt like hell, and she felt her shoulders quite tired. As she turned her head up, she saw her hands tied to shackles over her head. Her ankles felt cold, so as her whole body. As she turned to look down to her feet, she realized that her naked feet were submerged in cold water. She was all bruised and cut, and she felt she was catching a severe cold.

- Naruto-kun? – Her voice echoed the large and dark hall, but she got no answer: - Naruto!!

The echoes kept bouncing towards her. In that moment, she got scared as she saw appear something from the darkness. Several couples of whitish-lavender eyes appeared with no body shape showing up around them, looking at her with anger, disappointment and resentment. Hinata tried to break free from the shackles, but she just felt her wrists hurt a lot more. The eyes got closer to her, and as they did so, spoke to her with dark and mumbling voices:

- Traitor…

- Hinata…

- Hyuuga…

- Weak…

- Disgrace…

- Damn you…

- Die…

Hinata fell in total despair, and cried while hearing the terrifying and echoing voices get closer, louder and more cacophonic.

Naruto, meanwhile, spoke to Kyuubi, restless:

- Once more you've saved us, Kyuubi. Thanks.

Kyuubi, smiling, replied:

- Well, kid, we need to survive, don't we?

Naruto, scratching his head, said:

- Well, yes, that's right. And, tell me, what have you seen? – As seeing the red and blue fox's doubtful expression, he asked again: - Has anyone followed us this far, other than the Hyuuga henchmen?

- Now that I think so, yes. – Naruto frowned and Kyuubi continued: - There is this pink-haired girl; she seems to know both of you.

- Hmm, Sakura-chan…

- She seems not to have any killing intent, or wanting to deceive you. Anyways, she's not exactly in a good mood. – All of a sudden, Kyuubi's expression changed completely, worried: - I certainly hope you realize I'm not doing this, but, I've just got into Hinata's mind!

- What's going on??

- She's having a very ugly nightmare! Although I'm not able to see what's going on in it, and that's _weird_, I can see she's suffering! Wake up! I'll get her out of there!

Naruto woke up and found Hinata moaning and shaking in the bed, like fighting with despair, and then she got up with a heartbreaking scream:

- LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!!!

Naruto jumped towards Hinata and hugged her with strength. Hinata broke away in tears, and he felt she was really cold. He started whispering to her:

- Hinata, my dear, calm down, please, they already left you alone, and that was just a dream, come on, cry quietly…

He noticed her regaining her temperature slowly, and she hugged him also with strength, as he allowed her finally to move. He felt her shaking a lot, and how her pulse got sped up, as if her heart wished to jump out of her chest. He kept whispering with a sweet voice and caressed her back smoothly. Hinata, after several minutes of crying, mumbled:

- Na- Naruto… N-Naruto…

- I'm here, Hinata, by your side…

- F-forgive me…

- What is that for, Hinata? You did nothing wrong…

- I-I w-woke you up… in t-the middle of t-the night… I-I'm no more than a b-burden f-for you…

Naruto returned the strong hug, and whispered to her ear:

- _If_ you were a burden, Hinata, I wouldn't have come with you…

- N-Naruto… Please, d-don't go away…

- I'm right here, Hinata, I'm right here. Calm down… - Naruto released the hug slowly and said, staring at her glassy eyes: - I'll be in the chair, so-

- NO! – Hinata held Naruto's hand firmly, but with her shaky pulse still, crying and sobbing a lot more: - D-don't want them t-to come back, N-N-Naruto… p-please…

Naruto realized she was completely terrified, and smiled at her, blushed, while he sat beside her:

- Don't worry, Hinata, I'll stay with you, okay?

Hinata smiled, with her cheeks pink and her eyes still dropping tears. Naruto noticed then that her smile was just beautiful, and he felt very happy to be the one who could make her smile like that after such a horrible dream. _She woke up cold and shaking nervously. I'll ask Kyuubi if she can find anything weird about this __**dream**_. Hinata saw Naruto get laid on the bed and she curled up gently to his right side. She laid her head on his shoulder and whispered sweetly, still sobbing:

- N-Naruto…

- Tell me, Hinata…

- I… I-I want to train with you… - Hinata hugged Naruto tenderly, and her body stopped shaking as he surrounded her with his right arm: - Y-you've become so strong, Naruto… I-I wished to b-become strong, to earn your… attention… b-but I'm still a foolish girl… - Naruto realized that he had to be patient, and allowed her to keep getting rid of all she had as her burden: - I thought that… if I did something l-like, like risking my life for you… I'm… I-I'm an idiot… I-I couldn't even… even defeat my own s-sister, Naruto…

Naruto noticed her sadness growing again and took the chance to reply and avoid it from taking control over her again:

- Hinata… Why would you want to defeat your own sister?

Hinata got shocked at the question:

- N-Naruto…

- A Ninja trains to protect those he loves, not to fight against them… and I disagree a lot with your father about that, Hinata…

- B-but, no matter h-how much I've done m-my best… the people I-I love k-keeps becoming a-a lot stronger than me… And, and I feel so worthless, Naruto…

- You defended me from Pain, Hinata…

- That was a-!

- You defended me while you poured your heart open for me… You're the only one who had been strong enough to not see the Nine-Tailed Fox in me, but instead seeing _me_ and getting close to _me_… you're completely capable of defending me, Hinata, and I trust you blindly… - Hinata smiled between tears and sobs, while he continued: - I've got not a clue about how the Hyuuga Clan trains, or how you train specifically, but I promise I'll make of you the strongest kunoichi in the whole world.

- T-thank you… so much, Na-Naruto…

- I could help you raise your chakra reserves, and together we could create amazing techniques…

Hinata kissed Naruto's cheek for the second time, and this time it wasn't a shy kiss. She did it this time with a lot more tenderness:

- N-Naruto… I-I don't know what I'd do… w-without you…

- I also don't know what I would do without you, Hinata…

As both felt a lot warmer together in that close hug, Hinata hid her face on his neck and whispered:

- Good night, Naruto…

- Sweet dreams, Hinata…

After this, both slept deeply. Both faces were blushed, and smiling. _Hmmm, it seems they're really meant to be together. Let's see if this knuckle-head doesn't screw it all tomorrow._ Kyuubi then heard Naruto and she started getting to work. Also, she found out that the rain became a lot stronger after they went back to sleep. She covered both kids with her warm chakra, as she got into Hinata's mind, gently checking what happened during that strangely powerful nightmare, and checking if it left any kind of mark in her. What she found surprised her.

End of Chapter 5.


	6. Chapter 6: Why?

**Disclaimer: I do not ****own Naruto or its characters… damn, this is quite messy…**

Chapter 6: Why?

The next morning, Naruto woke up, and noticed that Hinata's breathing was quite more calmed, as he could felt it in his neck, tickling him a bit. _Actually, this feels really good._ Naruto noticed how she woke up and raised her sight to watch his eyes:

- G-good morning, Naruto…

Naruto saw her smile, blushed, and gave her a tender kiss in her forehead. Hinata's blush turned scarlet, and Naruto replied to her, smiling:

- Good morning, Hinata…

Hinata stood up smoothly, sighing with calm joy. _Naruto-kun kissed my forehead… so tenderly…_ As she washed her face and mouth in the bathroom, Naruto detailed her body shape. She was, put simply, perfect to his eyes; she was not fearsomely strong as Tenten, or amusingly attractive as Ino. Her lavender eyes were magical, a lot more than Sakura's green eyes. _And only now I realize that…_ Her smile made him daydream, and the blush in her face charmed him. Her body was very well shaped: her curves where they had to be, toned up but not big muscles, her thigh joints as wide as her shoulders, her waist delicately slim, breasts and buns well proportioned, and toned up and slim legs and arms. Naruto would've never noticed any of these things if, first of all, he hadn't spent those two and a half years with The Pervy Sage, Jiraiya; and last but not least, if he had allowed himself to be misled by the wide clothing Hinata used to wear (and that still wears) daily. Kyuubi talked to him, in a serious tone:

- I did what you asked me for, kid. Hinata was victim of a Genjutsu that affected her through dreams.

- Dammit! Now it's mentalists?

- Yeah… I've seen this mind-control mark in the Hidden Leaf…

Naruto suddenly thought of one person and got shocked:

- Ibiki Morino???

- No… it looks a lot more like Clan Yamanaka's trade mark…

- Ino?

- Not her, but someone from her family…

Hinata's voice interrupted, all of a sudden:

- N-Naruto… t-the bathroom is v-vacant now…

Naruto noticed Hinata's expression, and realized she was quite a bit worried. _Yes, it's the third time, at least as I could count, that she found me motionless, while I talked to Lady Kyuubi. Guess I'll have to explain her later what happened to Kyuubi._ As he returned a smile to her, calming her down a bit, he thanked her and jumped from the bed, reaching the bathroom and washing himself too. As they got dressed, they decided to go and have breakfast outside in the village. They found a small place and had their breakfast peacefully. A figure was watching them, hiding behind a wall, as they left the restaurant, talking quite freely for being _them_. _Usually, their conversation meetings were one-sided… What's going on here?_ They started to walk, backpacks in their backs, and she moved closer to them, stalking them. _This is __**really**__ weird: Usually I was there, trying to get rid of Naruto at all costs, while Hinata used to sneak upon him… Now Hinata is out there with Naruto, quite happy and relaxed, and __**I'm the one who sneaks upon him…**__ even with some __**jealousy**__…_ As the chance came by, the couple had to turn to their backs, alerted to the voice they heard echoing through the muddy streets:

- Naruto!

Both turned and checked on the attractive pink-headed girl, her green eyes checking on both of them, a lot worried. Hinata saw the way she looked at Naruto and frowned. _Is this thing I'm feeling… jealousy?_ Naruto checked the red-dressed girl with a strange look, something that made her nervous, and scanned her expression seriously. Then, he covered Hinata's shoulders with his arm, in a protective gesture that Hinata thanked with a hug. The other girl asked:

- Finally I find you, Naruto! Can we chat for a while?

Naruto looked at Sakura, and then glanced to Hinata, frowning. Then, he turned to Sakura:

- No, not at all. You're putting us in danger, Sakura.

_He completely eliminated the Sakura-__**chan**__ already?? Since when did this happen??_ Sakura felt a bit shattered in her chest, as the only guy she considered as a friend, even when she used him quite a lot, was treating her so coldly. Hinata, also in quite a serious gesture, supported Naruto's statement:

- I escaped on my own free will, and I-I s-saved N-Naruto… from b-being k-k-killed in the fire o-on… - Hinata hugged Naruto, wanting to protect him: - o-on his birthday…

Sakura was a lot shocked and shattered now. _Hinata talking to me like that… and Naruto treating me so coldly… This doesn't seem prepared at all…_ She asked, tears forming up in her eyes:

- B-but… Why??

Naruto and Hinata looked at each other and nodded. Hinata replied, simply:

- Y-you wouldn't understand, S-Sakura…

- Then **explain** me!! Hinata!! Naruto!!

- We can't take chances, Sakura, we need to disappear first.

- But-

- If y-you promise not to t-turn us in… w-we might t-tell you…

- But-!

The couple turned their backs on her and started running towards the southeast. Sakura, painfully, observed how her annoying teammate and her weird kunoichi partner, totally serious and compromised to each other, ran away further ahead. As she knew they were being followed, she started checking the surroundings, and found a white haired guy, with his long hair tied in a huge ponytail, concealed inside an apartment. _That's Inoki Yamanaka, the one of the nightmares… I should keep track of him._ As Naruto and Hinata abandoned the village, Inoki started to move, jumping out of the window quickly and stealthily. Sakura followed him. _I must match his pace to protect them from his Genjutsu. Hinata already suffered the effects… and I don't really want to see what'll happen if he ever considers entering Naruto's head._ As she saw them get lost in the woods, and that, a while later, Inoki followed them, she rushed to follow them.

In the way, Naruto spoke to Hinata, softly:

- Hinata, last night you were under a Genjutsu… that's what caused you that terrible nightmare…

Hinata opened her eyes wide and turned sad:

- I-I… I've been… marked…

Naruto asked Kyuubi if she could do something. She replied:

- I can get inside her chakra and heal the mark that Yamanaka left in her head, but you must make sure no one can get to us.

Naruto opened her eyes and stopped running, Hinata stopping next to him. He made his usual hand position and eight shadow clones showed up. He spoke:

- Watch this place, I must help Hinata.

- We'll do! – The eight clones replied full of energy.

As the eight clones jumped to the branches of the surrounding trees, in guard positions, Naruto sat Hinata on the floor, having her lay her back on the tree. He said to her, softly:

- Take a deep breath and relax, Hinata. We'll heal you from that mark.

_We'll heal you?_

- O-okay, Naruto…

Hinata breathed deep and relaxed, and Naruto fixed his eyes on hers. Then, he focused Kyuubi's chakra on his index finger, and touched Hinata's center of the forehead with his fingertip, both feeling after that how the warm chakra flowed from him to her.

Sakura, noticing that Inoki had stopped, drew three of her shuriken out from her pocket in her thigh. She suddenly saw two Naruto clones run to the Yamanaka, who got easily rid of them with his shuriken, and then he jumped, killing six more clones with a spiral slice of his sword. As he fell, she saw him arm several seals, and then he turned to make a hand position well known for her: index and thumb fingers making a rectangle, aimed at Naruto. _This is the hand position for the Mind Body Change technique._ She prepared to attack, but then her movements were completely restrained as she felt a kunai too close from her neck, even drawing a drop of blood with its pointy edge. A deep male voice said:

- The Twelve of the Leaf will die, just like that old hag, the Fifth Hokage, just did.

Sakura got surprised and desperate when she heard the words "Fifth Hokage was dead". She saw Inoki fall down to the ground, and no one picking him up, as she feared for her own life, but noticing how he had three kunai piercing his back as he fell down gave her hope. The man, with the distraction, suddenly felt a great hit on his back, and a scream relieved her:

- Fang over Fang!!

Sakura, while being released, jumped to the ground, healing her neck with her Medical Ninjutsu immediately. The man received one impact, then other, and other, and other, and so on. At the tenth impact, the aggressor fell on the ground, dead, and two spinning young men landed beside her. One of them turned to a white-haired dog, and the other one said:

- Let's hurry to Naruto!!

- Right, Kiba! Let's move!

The trio ran to Naruto and Hinata, and saw a group of seven Jounin group beside the couple. One of them was a Hyuuga, who made hand seals and got ready to do something to Hinata. Kiba took some senbon he had and threw them to him, piercing his hands, and drawing him out of concentration. Kiba and Akamaru attacked fiercely, and also very quickly, while Sakura used her supernatural strength learned from the Great Sannin Tsunade to attack some of the other Jounin, caught by surprise. After a short and fierce battle, the Hyuuga ninja ended up dead, so as three of the Jounin, and two ones who got wounded carried the also dead body of the leader. One of them screamed at them:

- You're all traitors to the Hidden Leaf Village!! The Sixth will know about this!!

The survivors left, as the kids were tired enough to stop them. Kiba fell on the ground, with a kunai in his arm. Sakura ran towards him quickly, using her Medical Ninjutsu to close the wound as she carefully retrieved the kunai. Naruto and Hinata were still there, focused and immobile. Kiba complained with growls, but after a few seconds the kunai was pulled away, and the wound got closed. Kiba said then:

- Thank you, Sakura…

In that moment, Naruto and Hinata returned to reality, and Sakura, without even noticing that, said:

- It's the least I could do for my boyfriend.

- _Kiba_ is your boyfriend????

Sakura turned to see a perplexed and tired Hinata and a scandalized Naruto. Both Kiba and Sakura had their full backpacks, and both got blushed. Sakura said, quite nervous:

- Well, it's just that; as Sasuke-kun left, I ran to my **second option**! – Kiba's face showed a mixture between anger and sadness as she spoke those words, forcing her to correct the situation quickly: - But it doesn't matter anymore! Kiba's my boyfriend, and I love him! That's all!

Sakura kissed Kiba's cheek smoothly, making him change his expression. He asked:

- And what about you two?

Both blushed furiously:

- E-eh, u-um, i-it's just t-that-!!

- I-I don't see why this is any business of yours!!

- Now it _is_, we'll travel with you, guys.

Naruto glanced to Hinata, and noticed she was as nervous as him. Both replied, at the same time:

- U-um, w-well…

- The truth is that…

- We need protection, and you two are the strongest between the Twelve of the Leaf

Naruto saw a disappointed Hinata and felt the same disappointment too, but he cleverly found a solution:

- Okay then. But, for the sake of privacy, we should travel separately. When it's prudent, we shall meet.

Kiba, checking on Sakura's malicious and attractive grin, replied:

- So be it. Let's go, guys.

Hinata sighed, relaxed, and Naruto lifted her up, with his hands holding her waist. She asked, casually:

- And… and, why d-did you r-run away?

- I went out on a mission for Lady Tsunade… but I cannot return now… - As Sakura's eyes turned glassy, she said, sadly: - I've just heard she was murdered…

The three of them got shocked. The death of the Fifth Hokage fell over them like a wall of bricks. Kiba said, while Sakura hugged him, crying:

- And… and I decided not to leave Sakura alone, even less now. Screw the village!

Naruto nodded, and, holding Hinata's arm delicately, said:

- Hinata and I are heading to neutral lands, to the southeast from here. We want just to live in peace. If you want, you can come with us, but you're free to part ways whenever you desire it.

- We'll go with you. – Kiba's voice was final, expressing also Sakura's new desires for her. Naruto replied:

- Let's go then. But don't forget the agreement.

Kiba and Sakura nodded, and let them run first, following them to a distance that allowed them to keep a close eye on both without bothering their privacy.

End of Chapter 6.


	7. Chapter 7: Kindred Spirits

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor its characters, locations, or whatever, I don't care at all.**

**This is a long one, so enjoy.**

Chapter 7: Kindred Spirits.

After travelling for five days in a row, and since meeting no villages or towns to stay, Naruto and Hinata took advantage of the endless forests' seclusion for doing their personal training. Today it was their sixth training session together, and Naruto could feel quite surprised of Hinata's great progress. _The Hyuuga training gave her an amazing control of her chakra and her own body. All she needed was some personal attention… just like __**me**__…_ Naruto drew a small square of paper and handed it to her:

- Keep this paper safe. We shall use it in a while.

Hinata took the paper and drew it inside her pouch. Naruto closed his eyes and talked to Kyuubi:

- I know I've been screwing with you a lot lately, but, could I ask you a question?

- Don't worry, kid. Fire away.

- Hinata and I need to raise our personal chakra reserves, Kyuubi. We don't actually want to run out of you, and also we want to protect you from Madara Uchiha, as he's still after you.

The fox looked at Naruto and smiled, perhaps blushed, even when the fur wouldn't allow the blush to be seen:

- Great, I really appreciate that. What do you want me to do?

- Could you materialize yourself? And teach us those things? I know you know about that.

- Sure; at once.

- Thanks again, Kyuubi.

Hinata noticed how that familiar chakra left Naruto's body again: a red and bluish-silver couple of chakras, entangled like two colored strings. Beside him, someone materialized itself. It was a beautiful woman, whose hair were silver-colored, who had fox ears over her head and nine red and bluish-silver fox tails. She wore a blue kimono with a red strap around her waist. Hinata checked on her and stared at her. The woman said:

- Hello, Hinata Hyuuga. It's finally a pleasure to meet you.

- U-um, hi.

- Hinata Hyuuga, she is the complete form of the Nine-Tailed Fox. You could call her Kyuubi, as I usually do, and if she doesn't mind at all.

- Y-you… you d-drew me out of t-that nightmare… t-thank you…

- Thank _you_, for keeping Naruto happy. - Both Naruto and Hinata blushed furiously, smiling while rolling their eyes. Kyuubi continued: - Naruto asked me for help with your training. I shall monitor you as you work to raise your personal chakra reserves.

- And, h-how do we do that, L-lady Kyuubi?

- First of all, must check on your physical condition. As far as I've seen lately, your physical condition has improved quite a lot, so I might trust in your physical training. The second step is to get rid of all those formalities that disturb you so much, Hinata. – Watching Hinata's surprise, Kyuubi smiled: - You can be easy on me as you are with Naruto. Call me just Kyuubi from now on.

Hinata smile and nodded. Her smile was burden-free, was merrier than ever, and that made Naruto fall deeper in love with her. Kyuubi said:

- The third step is this one: you need to sit down and meditate.

Naruto reminded of his training with Fukasaku and the toads in the mount Myoboku:

- Will you teach us how to handle the natural chakra?

Hinata didn't know what Naruto was talking about. _Did he just say… natural chakra?_ Kyuubi answered:

- For Hinata, that's the last step. You can be released from that last training, as you already learned how to use the energy of the Sage Mode. By now, we shall raise your physical and spiritual chakra reserves. I want you to breathe and relax. No one else looks at you now.

Hinata and Naruto sat down on the ground, legs crossed. Both made the hand seal of the Ram during their meditation, and Kyuubi replied, with smooth voice:

- Take deep breaths and close your eyes…

Both did as they were told. Then she said:

- Mind blank, focus on your breathing.

After twenty minutes of deep breathing, Kyuubi scanned their minds, and as she got satisfied, she continued, smoothly:

- There's a lot of chakra in the air. Visualize all of that chakra enter your bodies with each breath, wait for it to flow through your bodies while retaining your breath, and when you release the air, you'll be able to feel how your hearts retain more and more chakra with each breath.

After two hours, Hinata and Naruto looked a lot more freshened and young, and Kyuubi scanned their bodies. Naruto's chakra, only with this short meditation session, had grown at a steady rate, reaching a growth rate of the 50% in his blue chakra. Hinata's one surprised her: her growth rate, just in this couple of hours, was of 200%. Also, Kyuubi noticed how her chakra circulatory system grew stronger, without losing the subtleties that allowed her to attain the precise control of chakra that she required for her fighting style. She said:

- You can open your eyes now. – As they did, they found Kyuubi quite happy, and she asked: - Well, kids, how do you feel?

Hinata was quite relaxed, more than ever in her whole life, and felt strength inside her that she'd never felt before. Naruto felt also the same way, and Kyuubi said:

- Within two monthes you could reach strength like that First Hokage's one. Some hours a day, two days a week, shall be enough. Tomorrow I'll start teaching you the strongest chakra control there is: the one of a Tailed Beast. I really doubt you're going to reach a Tailed Beast's level, but I'm sure your improvements with this training will give you unprecedented chakra control skills. We'll train that the same way: some hours a day, two days a week. As you're done with that, I'll show you how to handle the natural chakra.

- But, in order to do that, it's necessary to have a contract with some sort of summoning, isn't it right? For example: Jiraiya with the toads, Tsunade with the slugs, Kakashi with the hound dogs, and so on, right?

- Well, I know that you can summon toads, Naruto, but Hinata actually summons nothing, and that's a problem.

Hinata got ashamed, turning her eyes away as she blushed, red wine color. Kyuubi whispered something to Naruto, and he grinned:

- Yes, I can do that! It'll be fun!

Naruto bit his finger, dropping some blood, and started to make some known hand seals: Rooster, Horse, Monkey, Boar, Tiger. As he did so, Kyuubi held Hinata's hand firmly, and as Naruto threw his hand to the floor, Kyuubi held Naruto's shoulder with her other hand. Suddenly, they all vanished in a cloud of smoke. Kiba, who watched the scene from a hidden tree, asked:

- What the hell?? Where did those two pricks go?

Sakura, right beside him, just spoke:

- I guess I know where they're headed, but that's okay. Kiss me now, Kiba.

Kiba turned to see her smiling face and her serious eyes:

- Okay, then, but don't dare to complain that I smell like dog, or something.

Sakura blushed on purpose, as she got closer to Kiba:

- I deal with _slugs_, so some dog-smell won't hurt for a while. Come here, my dear puppy.

Sakura kissed Kiba's lips in a passionate reaction, and after that, both teenagers looked at each other, giggling and returning to their own tents.

Meanwhile, Naruto, Hinata and Kyuubi appeared in the lands close to mount Myoboku. Kyuubi slowly vanished, returning to Naruto's body and, as she did so, Hinata turned to notice two small toads dressed in tunics. The one who looked like male had a gray beard and some gray hair like spike aiming to the sky, and the other one, more like a female toad, had purple hair. She actually thought they were sock puppets or something alike, but she got shocked when Naruto greeted them:

- Boss Fukasaku! Mom Shima! So long time no see!

"_Boss"? "Mom"? They seem quite tender and funny, but I can sense quite an amount of power in them._ Hinata smiled tenderly at them. Shima replied:

- Naruto-chan! How are you?

- Fine, mom! How about you?

- We're on our way to eat something at the lake!

Fukasaku, looking at Hinata, asked:

- Hmmm… Isn't this girl the one who sacrificed herself for you? Isn't it her, Mom?

Ma jumped to her left shoulder and watched Hinata closely. Hinata felt quite nervous due to the old toad's inspection, but, all of a sudden, she smiled at her:

- Yes, it's her, Dad. What is she doing here? I don't think she'd like to deal with toads, Naruto-chan!

As Shima jumped back to the floor, Hinata noticed that, even being a _toad_, she was more like a grumpy granny, and she giggled softly. Naruto grinned and said:

- No, I brought her to talk to the Elder Toad Sage. I think he's the one who can actually help us.

Fukasaku replied:

- Well, somehow the Elder Sage was expecting you. Weird old toad. Go and talk to him.

- Thanks, Dad, Mom! Have a nice meal!

- T-thank you, D-dad, M-mom…

Fukasaku and Shima smiled at them and left, again on their own business. Hinata couldn't resist any longer and ran to Naruto's side, whispering to him:

- T-they look like… s-sock puppets, Naruto!

Naruto burst out in laughter, and Hinata couldn't resist it either, laughing soundly for the first time in her life. _I made Naruto-kun laugh soundly! He's laughing, __**with me**__!_ Naruto gently took her hand and took her to the Elder Sage's house, in the middle of the mount Myoboku. Hinata was pinky-blushed, but she smiled genuinely too, and Naruto, as he stared at her face, noticed she squeezed her hand playfully. He couldn't help it when she gave him a sweet smile, closing her eyes in a gesture of joy. When they reached the Elder Sage's house entry, still handheld, Hinata got close to him and hugged him tenderly. Naruto immediately returned the gesture, without even needing to think about it, playing with her hair between his fingers. Hinata said:

- N-Naruto…

- Tell me, Hinata…

- I-I don't know if w-we're dating or something like that… b-but, I-I just love being with you, Naruto…

Naruto noticed her great will effort when she released the hug to stare at his eyes. He blushed while seeing her face as happy as ever before, and replied:

- Heh, heh, Hinata… you really think so?

- Yes!

Hinata was quite excited, and returned to hug Naruto, blushed up to a scarlet color, and whispered to him, her face in his shoulder:

- T-thank you so much… f-for coming w-with me…

Naruto returned the gesture, whispering also:

- Thanks to you, Hinata, for always being there for me…

- Hey… Naruto… shouldn't we get inside?

- Sure, come on. You'll like the Elder Sage.

Naruto's smile turned more and more genuine when he smiled at her, and Hinata's turned more and more confident when she smiled at him. Both noticed the change, and felt quite good with it. As they entered the house placed inside the rock of the mountain, the Elder Toad Sage received them, smiling:

- The kids in love have arrived. It's good that you seek for an old hag like me for advice.

Naruto and Hinata got completely surprised with the Elder's statement, but both felt that, and they turned to each other, blushed, recognizing the truth in his words. Naruto spoke:

- Elder Sage-

Hinata held his hand firmly, forcing Naruto to draw his attention towards her:

- I want to do this, N-Naruto.

Naruto, noticing her determination, allowed her to talk, smiling:

- Elder Sage, I know that I'm not normally welcome into these lands, but… I need your assistance…

The Elder Sage was charmed by her voice, and Naruto was happy to realize her stuttering had completely vanished for a second. The Sage made a gesture so she could keep on talking:

- Naruto wants to teach me the Summoning Technique, but I don't know… I don't know if I can…

The Elder Toad saw her with merciful eyes and replied:

- Young Hyuuga, your Clan should be retaining the Hawk Summoning… but you broke free from your Clan, so, it's time for me to search for your true kindred spirit… come closer, please…

Hianta got closer to the giant toad, and he put one of his huge fingers over her head. Hinata felt the elder's chakra scan her soul and her heart. All of a sudden, an image jumped to the Sage's mind, and he smiled:

- Ha, ha! Ah, young girl! Your kindred spirit is quite interesting!

Naruto waited, while the elder pierced his finger with a senbon. As the blood poured out, the Sage armed seals and said:

- I shall bring your kindred spirit specie's leader, and she will teach you.

After placing the hand on the floor, a great smoke of cloud appeared, and a siluet could be distinguished beneath it. The elder said:

- This is your kindred animal spirit, young Hyuuga. I know you were different to the rest of your Clan, so, meet your new boss.

- Wow… it's… it's…

The figure, still within the smoke, said, with an elderly female voice:

- Well, well, Toad Sage, I must say that you were right once more. A Hyuuga girl _would_ find us.

- Hello. How are you, old friend?

As the smoke dissipated, Hinata watched that the Elder Sage had summoned a large dragoness with silver scales. She curled up on herself beside the elder toad, resting, and saw Hinata with her red eyes:

- Well, this young girl, unlike her whole Clan, she has the purity and strength in her heart to deal with us. How did you ever find her, old friend?

- Well, she came with the kid who surprised every single Toad with is great heart and energy.

The dragoness saw Naruto, who stared at her, amazed:

- The last of the Tailed Beasts' hosts… and also he's the only one who ever dared to complete the chakra of a Tailed Beast in his own body, balancing it... It's finally a pleasure to meet you, Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto was shocked to realize the dragoness knew of him. He replied:

- I might say that I'm quite shocked. I never even thought of the existence of the dragons, but they seem to know all about me.

The dragoness smiled:

- That's how things are. – She turned to Hinata and said: - Hinata Hyuuga, finally you've reached this far. My name is Ginryuu.

- Um, it's a pleasure, lady Ginryuu.

- Well, let's get started. You know how to do the Summoning Technique?

- Well, I-I've seen N-Naruto do it, but I've n-never tried it m-myself…

Ginryuu stood and said:

- You need a drop of blood and these hand seals: Ram, Rat, Dog, Ox, Dragon.

- Ram, Rat, Dog, Ox, Dragon.

- Try it, Hinata-chan. Put your strength on that summoning and summon a dragon.

Naruto glanced to the Elder Toad, after seeing the hand seals. The Toad explained:

- The hand seal combination is different for every species' summoning. For toads, the combination is Rooster, Horse, Monkey, Boar, Tiger. For dragons, it is Ram, Rat, Dog, Ox, Dragon. And so on, kid.

- Ah, now I get it.

Hinata bit her thumb, drawing some blood, and armed the seals. She focused and hit the ground, as Naruto usually did, with the palm of her hand. As she saw a seal appear in the space where she landed her hand, a circle and an eight-pointed star drawing out of it from its center, she noticed the great smoke cloud that appeared, and then a blue-scaled dragon showed up. Naruto realized he was as big as Gamakichi, so he must be a young one. Hinata got excited as she did the summoning, and Naruto felt the joy inside his heart, also getting evidently happy for her. The recently arrived dragon said:

- Someone called for me? Oh! Greetings, Lady Ginryuu!

- Hi, Aoryuu. The young girl has summoned you.

The dragon wore a purple jacket, with the word "ryuu" (竜) painted in emerald green color in its back. His scales were blue like the sea, and his glare was young and fresh. He saw a still surprised Hinata, and said:

- A Hyuuga… well, we were actually expecting her. Hey there, young girl.

The dragon greeted her friendly, and both she and Naruto returned the gesture, happily. Ginryuu took a scroll hidden inside her mouth, and opened it with her hands:

- Hinata Hyuuga, you're even more amazing than what we expected. You could summon a young dragon at your first try, still being a bit nervous. If you focus, you'll summon dragons as big and strong as the boss toad Gamabunta. Welcome to the family. Write your name here, with your blood.

Hinata bit her index finger and wrote her name in the list she was given. Casually, she noticed that the last name before hers was very familiar: _Kushina… Uzumaki?! That's-!_

- Yes, Naruto's mother… - Both hinata and Naruto froze while hearing those words: - Kushina Uzumaki was a great dragon summoner, and she actually got married to a great toad summoner.

The elder toad replied:

- Well, kids, now we can take you back to the place where you were before. Hinata, congratulations for your freedom, and for proving yourself how strong you can be if you're loyal to your heart. See you soon.

The Elder Toad and Ginryuu armed hand seals, and after that Naruto and Hinata vanished in a smoke cloud.

As they returned to the place where they were training, Hinata and Naruto looked at each other, thrilled, and melt in a lovely and tender hug. Hinata finally showed she was worthy, and now, not only Naruto, but also the Toads and the Dragons believed in her. She said:

- I could do it, Naruto! I-I made it!

- Hinata! You surprise me more every single moment!

Both laughed, blushed, and their friendly stalkers, hiding in the trees, were totally clueless in front of the scene: Kiba, Akamaru and Sakura glanced to each other, not even understanding what could have made them so happy.

End of Chapter 7.


	8. Chapter 8: Private Training

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Naruto, nor its characters or other stuff…**

**Hope I'm not disappointing any of my actual readers. Anyways, please review. As long as I'm inspired and I get reviews, I'll keep pouring my imagination on this story.**

Chapter 8: Private Training.

Another week had passed, and they seemed not to be getting outside of that endless forest. Luckily, they could step by on another village, who had given them supplies in exchange for some assistance they provided to stop a mobster who exploited the village for his own purposes, something that took those four powerful kids not more than an evening.

Kiba and Akamaru sparred with an ever-stronger and full-of-stamina Sakura. Also, after they ended with their training, Sakura trained her Medical Ninjutsu on Kiba and Akamaru's wounds, as much as on her own ones. Their daily sessions kept them in shape for combat, something that they surely were going to need a lot more sooner than later, as they became missing-nin from the Hidden Leaf. After that fifth day's morning session ended, Kiba said:

- Hey, Sakura, let's check up on the other guys.

- Heh, heh, sure.

As they jumped through the trees, hiding between the leaves, they saw Naruto and Hinata on the ground… but something was not right. _There are __**twenty**__ Narutos and also __**twenty**__ Hinatas…_ Kiba could do nothing than stutter nonsense while Sakura claimed:

- _Twenty_ Hinatas? Don't tell me he taught her the Shadow Clone Technique!

Akamaru barked merrily, and Kiba asked him:

- Really, Akamaru?! But, how?!

After another bark, Sakura asked:

- What did Akamaru say, Kiba?

- Akamaru felt a growth on the guys' chakra amounts. Naruto has more than four times his common amount of reserves, without even daring to count the Nine-Tailed Fox, and Hinata had raised her own to ten times as much as a week before.

Sakura's eyes opened wide as these words were said:

- T-ten times? So, she's actually gathered to have at least more than three times my chakra reserves? And that added to her _devilish_ chakra control, gained with the practice of the Gentle Fist?

Kiba was still stunned, until he saw all the Narutos and Hinatas disappear excepting the original ones. Both were holding hands, happy and blushed. Naruto said, a grin on his face:

- Draw your paper, Hinata, the one I gave you a week ago.

- Um, sure!

Naruto and Hinata drew out a couple of paper squares from their pouches. Sakura recognized them immediately:

- They're about to train nature change in the chakra…

- Isn't that a Jounen-level training, Sakura?

- Let's see this, Kiba!

Naruto, unaware of their presence, or perhaps carefree of having them see him and Hinata, said:

- We shall create elemental techniques together, Hinata. For that, you need to learn how to change the nature of your chakra.

- This is… this is Jounin-level training, Naruto.

- Yes. I suppose you know what's this paper made of, right?

- Um, no.

- This is a special paper, created from trees that are bred and fed with chakra. This paper reacts to your chakra, and indicates you which of the five elements your chakra can use naturally.

- Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Lightning, right?

- Yes. Look, for example.

Naruto focused his chakra on the little paper he had on his hand, and Hinata saw it get cleanly sliced in two halves. Hinata got amazed:

- Air chakra…

- I know how to handle Air chakra. An average Jounin can handle two elements, a Special Jounin can even handle three changes, and even he's capable of combining them. You should try it, Hinata, let's see what you've got.

Naruto's smile encouraged her to do as he said. Hinata concentrated her chakra on her fingers, something that was easy for her, and the paper in her hand just got wet. Hinata jumped in excitement:

- N-Naruto! M-my chakra is Water chakra!

Naruto also got excited:

- Yes! Our combined skills will be easy to create and to handle!

Kiba and Sakura watched the scene, and started to imagine the possible scenarios that this could generate, both staring at the training couple with amazement and fear. Naruto replied:

- Now we know your chakra is of Water. Now, you should have to learn how to control that Water chakra at your own will. Now, Hinata, we'll start phase two.

Sakura saw how Naruto pointed at a tree and Hinata made Naruto's most known hand seal, creating twenty shadow clones. After that, all of the clones took one leaf each from the tree Naruto pointed, and he said:

- You learned how to use the Shadow Clone Technique in three days, Hinata. Your learning rate is awesome.

Hinata got blushed by this compliment, and smiled back at him. Naruto continued:

- I want you and your clones to try and extract the water from the leaves you've got on your hands.

- O-of course, Naruto.

Hinata, during hours, and only with a lunch break, tried to complete that exercise, using all of her willpower to stay on foot and handle that. It wasn't hard for her at all, if she only used her normal chakra, but this of handling the change of nature in the chakra was something new. She had not only to handle chakra, but also _water_ with it. Kiba saw Hinata try so hard and asked:

- What are they doing?

- Naruto… he's training Hinata the same way master Kakashi and captain Yamato trained him… He's going to kill her!

Sakura's worries suddenly got thrown away, as a happy Hinata screamed, thrilled:

- I-I-I did it! Look, Naruto! L-look!

Naruto, as thrilled as Hinata, saw how one of the twenty one Hinatas had a dry leaf on her left hand, and a water ball on her right hand. Naruto saw then all the clones disappear, and the original Hinata suddenly felt how all of the process returned to her. _I've learned the same way Naruto-kun uses to learn!_ Naruto hugged her tenderly:

- You drained it! You drained it in eight hours!

- Y-yes… now…

- You've got a well-deserved rest. I'll prepare something for you to eat, Hinata. Let's go.

Naruto carried Hinata piggy-back style, holding her upper thighs firmly, and allowing her to embrace his neck softly. Hinata, placing her face beside Naruto's, whispered:

- N-Naruto…

- Tell me, Hinata…

- T-thanks for making me… stronger…

- Heh, heh, Hinata… I'm _not_ making you stronger, you know? – Hinata glanced at him, curious: - I only… teach you stuff, so you can… surprise the world with your so great strength… and you're already amazing me a lot, Hinata…

- But, Naruto… if it wasn't for you… I'd have never even considered any of these options you're giving me… you always open me the gates, and you're so p-patient with me… - Naruto started walking and Hinata whispered to him:

- I-I think the Toad Sage was right, N-Naruto…

Naruto blushed as they arrived to their camp. Hinata jumped down and hugged him, then whispering at him:

- I'm so in love with you, _Naruto-kun_…

Naruto noticed the difference in the way she called him "Naruto-kun", but this time he didn't feel bad at all. Actually, he liked that _she_ called him _like that_: it was special for him now. She hugged him with strength, nervous for what she just said, but Naruto's answer made her get rid of the nerves and everything else:

- During all this last year, Hinata, your words during Pain's battle echoed in my heart… but now I see you stare in front of me and tell them to my face… It just makes me so happy to hear that, and also I want to tell you that I love you too, Hinata-chan…

Hinata's heart started pumping at the highest speed she could ever think it could reach, as she got totally speechless. _He loves me… and he called me Hinata-__**chan**__…_ Hinata noticed, while being so close to Naruto's chest, that his heartbeats matched hers, and then they looked at each other in the eye, totally blushed. Then they studied each other's lips, and, after a slow movement, they melted in a passionate kiss. Hinata hugged Naruto's shoulders, and he hugged her waist, also melted in a warm embrace. They felt each other's bodies when they stopped kissing each other slowly, and stared at each other's eyes. Hinata got suddenly lost in the sky she found in Naruto's blue eyes, and Naruto felt like floating between the clouds he found in Hinata's whitish-lavender eyes. They couldn't lie to themselves, and they kissed again, and again, and again. As the sun hid in the West, the young kids still kissed each other, and both Kiba and Sakura watched them, happy. Akamaru barked and Sakura replied:

- Naruto and Hinata look very well together…

- Better than any other couple from the Hidden Leaf…

- What did you mean with that?

- Just look at them, hun: that level of tenderness can only be reached by a couple that loves each other so truly as them.

- _You_'re talking about tenderness? – Sakura burst out in laughter: - Kiba, you surprise me!

- I'm sure you think the same, Sakura…

- Actually, yes… - her voice turned a bit melancholic: - it's so good that they finally found each other…

Naruto finally whispered, teasing:

- Hinata-chan, we're being watched, should we tell them to come down?

- Sure, Naruto-kun, they already saw us…

Seeing Hinata tease him back, he grinned and screamed:

- You can come out! Kiba, Sakura, Akamaru!

The trio suddenly felt their cover blown up, and jumped towards them. Naruto and Hinata, still handheld, turned to them. She said, shyly teasing:

- D-did you like the r-romance novel?

Naruto laughed as Hinata giggled, seeing both Sakura and Kiba baffled:

- We can turn it into one of those adult novels of the Pervy Sage, ha, ha.

Sakura, upset, slammed a fist on each of the kids' heads, and, down on the floor, even with respective bruises on their heads, both still laughed together. _Now both pull pranks together, and still on the floor, while being bruised, still hold hands._ Kiba said, to stop laughing:

- Well, well, okay, get up, kids. How about having dinner together?

Hinata nodded and claimed:

- Naruto-kun and I shall cook!

Naruto also nodded, thrilled:

- I'll learn how to cook with the greatest chef between the Twelve of the Leaf! That's great, Hinata-chan!

Both smiled, blushed, and both Sakura and Kiba stared at each other, bored at the excessive sweetness in the air.

Later, Hinata gave instructions and Naruto took note, thrilled, the recipe of that day: rabbit meat in tomato and soy sauce, rice, red beans and spices. Naruto watched Hinata handle herself graceful and relaxed in the kitchen, and even fell in love with her a lot more, if that was just _possible _at all. Naruto tried to emulate her procedure, looking clumsy beside her, of course. Hinata giggled softly as she saw him, blushing in a tener gesture that made Naruto smile. He said:

- If you fight with the same grace you have when you cook, Hinata-chan, I can assure no one could ever defeat you, and no one would even dare to mess up with you.

Hinata blushed furiously with the compliment _and_ advice she received, but she smiled gently and returned the gesture:

- Naruto-kun, if you put the same effort and spirit you put to your training and fighting to your imagination while cooking, you should become the greatest chef of the world…

Naruto smiled gently, as noticing that Hinata didn't stutter anymore while being alone with him. Then, he received a tender kiss on his lips. Sakura, hungry and upset, claimed:

- We _ain't_ going to eat kisses, are we? The fact that you can feed yourselves with your mutual love doesn't mean you're going to stop cooking!

Kiba was a little more direct:

- We're so hungry! Hurry up, don't you mind to?

After a few minutes, Naruto and Hinata finished the meal, and the five friends started having dinner. Random conversations accompanied that dinner, so as compliments to the cooking couple, and, in the end, they all would go to sleep together, as Kiba and Sakura moved their own camp next to Naruto's place.

End of Chapter 8.


	9. Chapter 9: Waterfalls

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters…**

**Finally, a long chapter… guess that I'll take a short break after this one (no more than a couple of days, don't worry)**

Chapter 9: Waterfalls.

Naruto and Hinata prepared everything inside the tent for going to sleep, when he checked the night sky through the tent's small air vent. Marveled due to the vision of the full moon, he made Hinata a small sign, and she looked outside, becoming also amazed with the celestial image of that indigo-and-silver-colored night. Hinata dared to say, whispering:

- It's… beautiful…

Naruto, noticing how close was Hinata's face, said, on the same voice tone:

- The night sky reminds me of your hair, Hinata-chan, and the stars remind me of your eyes…

Hinata blushed furiously, but she replied, playing with a hand on his messy hair:

- Your hair resembles the sun shining to me, Naruto-kun… and your blue eyes are the clean sky of the morning to me…

Naruto, playing with one of Hinata's hair strands, those who fell by the sides of her face, and that became a trade mark of her look for Naruto, said:

- Hinata-chan…

- Naruto-kun…

- I love you so much…

- I do so too…

After that, Naruto stepped forward, hugging Hinata and lying on his back in the floor, leaving Hinata over his body. She saw him and kissed his lips frantically. They discovered with their hands on each other's hair, deepening those kisses. Naruto sled his tongue slowly inside Hinata's mouth, and she let her mouth be explored by this delicate and lovely _intruder_, after that being her who checked Naruto's mouth with her still timid tongue. Both blushed furiously after finishing that passionate kiss; and Hinata felt how Naruto hugged her smoothly; he made her feel safe while he kept her right next to him. Hinata lowered her hands to his chest, and then to his stomach, caressing Naruto in a way he'd never forget. She raised her hands to his cheeks, playing with his whiskers, while saying:

- Naruto-kun… you remember… that first mission we had together?

Naruto made memory of the bug mission, a total failure for his wide list, but he also remembered how Hinata saved his life, fighting with great skill and courage just to protect him. He replied:

- Yes… I remember you saving me, Hinata-chan…

Hinata smiled, blushed, and said to him:

- Remember… your vision of the _godly-beautiful_ girl you saw in a waterfall?

Naruto sighed when that memory returned to his mind, but he only could say:

- That image comes to me in my dreams every night, and I could never find out who that beautiful girl was…

Hinata noticed him getting blushed and quite sad, and she felt herself how the blood rose to her head. She wanted to do this for him, giving him the truth of that instant, but not telling him directly. Hinata smiled, with the typical face of a rebel girl who just ran away with her boyfriend (_not exactly that far from reality_), and, gathering all the courage she had in stock, took his hand:

- F-follow me, Naruto-kun…

Hinata opened the tent's zipper stealthily, and as Naruto got out behind her, she also locked it stealthily. Not even Akamaru woke up, and Hinata giggled softly. She held Naruto's hand and led him to some place away from the camp. Naruto noticed she was very thrilled, and that she was using all of her courage, so he decided not to do anything that could ruin the moment, and let himself be led by Hinata. As they reached an absurdly beautiful waterfall, whose water fell into a river's bank of rocks that was free of trees, Hinata said, quite shyly:

- Look at the forest, and don't turn until I tell you, okay?

- I promise I'll wait.

Hinata saw Naruto stay very still, and she ran to the other side of the rock bank. Naruto, focusing his sight on the trees, and then on the starry sky, finally listened to Hinata's call. When he turned to her, that image that tormented him that badly in his dreams had come true in front of his eyes: Hinata danced in front of the waterfall just like that beautiful lady of her vision, and she moved the water with her chakra graciously, making the water drops surround her like small stars fallen from the sky to shine over Hinata's dancing scene. Naruto noticed then that her dearest's beautiful silhouette was wearing no clothes at all, and then he saw her asking him to get close with her dance, hypnotizing him. Naruto, enchanted, got up and started to walk towards her, but her shy voice claimed softly:

- N-Naruto-kun… you don't want your clothes to… to get wet… take it all off…

Naruto got slowly undressed, still charmed by the way his "dream" and his actual reality matched so perfectly, and in the person he loved most in this life. As he was finished, Naruto got close to Hinata, slowly as he used his chakra to walk over the water, and saw her closely, playing with the water around her as she still danced, using her chakra to perform an even more impressive show for him. Hinata took Naruto's hand, feeling herself blushed, and noticing his dark-blushed face, and guided him as she danced over the water. Naruto could barely match her gracefulness, but he could reach her rhythm as she made it easier for Naruto to match her. Both were laughing like young kids, as they played over the water. Hinata finally jumped over Naruto and hugged him as if there was no tomorrow. All of a sudden, Naruto felt how his lips touched hers softly, and then the cold of the night and the water had completely vanished, as the warmth of their bodies kept them warm. Slowly, both kids, still kissing each other's lips and caressing each other's hair with their hands, kneeled over the water, Hinata sitting over his lap as they sat down. She pulled him as she let herself fall slowly backwards, lying over her back. Naruto laid over her, both his and her breathings at full sync, so as their heartbeats, and noticed that she embraced him with her legs, him staying between them. They let themselves be taken by the thrill of the moment, and made love over the water. Both felt that moment as a magical one, and no unnecessary words were told as they two became one. There could have passed minutes, perhaps hours, but for them, the time was completely frozen. As they finished, Naruto laid beside Hinata, and she hugged him tenderly, playing with her fingers on his chest. Naruto, still amazed and marveled, said:

- So… all this time… it was you, Hinata-chan…

- Yes, Naruto-kun… it was me…

- Thank you…

Naruto raised her softly, only using his arms, and this time it was her who laid over him. Naruto kissed her lips tenderly and she replied with other sweet kiss. She said softly:

- I dreamed of this moment… so many times… but I never thought it would be so… so wonderful…

Naruto noticed her innocent blush and her timid smile. He hugged her tenderly, not wanting to let her go ever in his whole life. That smile of hers had captivated him completely, and as he got lost in her eyes, he said, smiling:

- It was just wonderful… great that I didn't actually inherit some things from the _Pervy_ Sage, or I'd have ruined this… thank you, Hinata-chan…

Hinata giggled softly after the comment about the deceased Jiraiya, and kissed his lips, allowing Naruto to feel her soft lips more in detail. After the kiss was undone softly, both stared at each other's eyes, getting completely lost in the magic of the moment, and whispered at the same time:

- I love you…

After another tender kiss, they got up, got dressed and returned to their camp.

The next morning, Hinata woke up, and found an improvised but adorable bouquet of deep-bluish violets and light-colored lavenders beside her head. She took them tenderly and smelled them: the scent was captivating; in that same moment, Naruto entered the tent with one of their pots in his hands. He saw her with the blue and lavender flowers and said, blushed:

- I found them this morning, Hinata-chan, you like them?

- They're just beautiful, Naruto-kun, thank you…

- I made breakfast for us. Kiba and Sakura won't still wake up.

- Let's eat in here then, I'm starving, heh, heh.

Naruto had prepared some rice flour pies. He said to Hinata, while showing them to her, still blushed:

- I made them with what was left of the dinner as refill, heh, heh. Hope they're not bad.

Hinata was hungry, and as she checked out the good-looking pies, she teased:

- Let's see if you learned something.

Naruto laughed with her, a bit nervous. Hinata took a pie and tasted it, her face showed bliss:

- This is delicious, Naruto-kun!

Naruto started eating with her, relieved that she actually liked his _special_ breakfast. As they finished, Hinata said:

- Naruto-kun, these pies were made to feed the angels in Heaven. Where did you learn to do these pies?

- Well, during my travels with the Pervy Sage, I decided not to rely on Jiraiya and worked for a couple of months in a pastry to make some money.

Hinata giggled:

- Then we can make a restaurant together, Naruto-kun!

- That's not a bad idea, Hinata-chan! Not at all!

Naruto chuckled, and Hinata smiled to his chuckle. She said then, after kissing his lips:

- Restaurant of the Dragon and the Toad! Heh, heh!

- Excellent name, Hinata-chan!

- You like it, Naruto-kun?

Naruto nodded with a tender kiss on Hinata's lips, and in that moment the second tent opened itself. They didn't even care about who would be watching them, even less if it was Kiba, Sakura, or both. Sakura checked on Kiba and said:

- They woke up quite happy…

- Yes, I wonder what they've done last night…

- Shut up, you pervert!

- How do you know I was meaning about _that_? Calm down, you're the _pervert_ for actually thinking about that!

Sakura couldn't argue with Kiba's logic. She just sighed:

- Hmmm, fine then. Let's eat something, Kiba.

- Fine for me.

Kiba and Sakura were having breakfast quietly while Hinata and Naruto wore their ninja clothes and their equipment; and, all of a sudden, they received two unexpected guests. One of them covered his face with a grey hood and a dark green sweater that covered his neck and half his face. The other one was a very attractive girl, dressed in purple, wearing a protective green jacket that revealed her as a Leaf Chuunin, her long, grass-green hair let loose and her eyes colored like the amethyst. Hinata and Kiba looked at the masked one who wore dark glasses and recognized him immediately, but they didn't say a word about their arrival. Naruto and Sakura also recognized him, but Naruto then checked on the girl, and noticed that she was still wearing the Leaf protector on her forehead, while the guy didn't have it on him. Naruto was also noticing the numb look of the girl, but after that, the camping group kept on their own business. The newly-arrived guy talked to them, quite surprised of their reaction:

- Won't you even consider saying a word to a comrade?

Hinata, sad, saw Naruto, telling him to keep calm with a tender look, and she replied:

- Your clan was up in first row, with some other major Clans, directing the burning of Naruto's apartment… almost killing us both…

Hinata hugged Naruto, who got shocked, and then got sad, hugging her back. Kiba replied:

- Also, I noticed you agreed quite immediately with the Leaf's elders' council when _we_ were ordered to kill Hinata… that's _not_ what a **comrade** does, Shino Aburame…

Naruto and Hinata opened their eyes wide, as Kiba lowered his sight, ashamed, and Sakura hugged him. Shino replied, with shame in his voice, something that was _weird_ on him:

- I didn't know that the Hyuuga traitor the elders talked about was Hinata. Also, I wasn't in the village when Naruto's apartment was burned. When Maki and I noticed that Naruto had run away, and that Hinata also had escaped, I got terribly worried, and when I started checking on how this new Hokage sent people to kill them, and sent people after you, Sakura Haru-no, Maki and I had to come look for you.

Hinata, with her Byakugan active while she hid her face on Naruto's hair, as they were still hugged, said, deeply angry:

- How can we know you're not coming to kill us, or turn us in as prisoners back to that corrupted and vile village?

Shino watched Sakura, still hugging Kiba, and he turned upset, because they still thought that he was a traitor. Hinata whispered something to Naruto, as he checked on the girl beside Shino, and the insect ninja said:

- I'm also being hunted… because I witnessed the death of Lady Tsunade… Shikamaru, Neji and I witnessed it, and I know they ran away, like I did. Shikamaru must be reaching the Hidden Sand Village by now, and Neji fled with his team, bt I'm not sure which direction they took.

Sakura reacted to the second mention of Tsunade's death, so as Naruto. _It's the second person who mentions it… It must be true then… Damn bastards!!_ Kiba, smelling undercover, replied:

- At least, he's not lying about that.

Naruto asked, impotent:

- Who killed granny Tsunade?

- The Elder Advisors killed Tsunade. They said something that only one who got an eye to detect lies and deceive attempts, and other eye to control and subdue his underlings, was worthy to be the one and only Hokage.

Sakura cried, and Kiba hugged her, trying to comfort her, while he was in the need of comfort himself. Naruto looked at Hinata and remembered:

- A Sharingan and a Byakugan… - then he realized, and screamed: - Danzou is the goddamn Sixth Hokage again?!

The girl who accompanied Shino spoke, almost like an automaton:

- That is true, Naruto Uzumaki. He was proclaimed as the Sixth Hokage.

They all glanced at her, with strange looks on them. Even Shino looked at her with inquiring eyes. She said, while checking her pockets discretely:

- My name is Maki Yamada. I'm from the Clan Yamada, the experts in Earth Style techniques of the Hidden Leaf. I had to flee from the village because the Leaf's enemies killed my entire Clan.

Naruto noticed that Maki's answer was, once again, automatic and emotionless. Hinata detailed her quietly and noticed something very strange on Maki's chakra flow, particularly on her brain, her heart and her mouth. She noticed then that there were suppressing seals blocking her chakra, and whispered to Naruto:

- Naruto-kun, she's got three suppressing seals: one in her tongue, one in her head and one in her heart.

Naruto suddenly heard Kyuubi's voice:

- Damn! I know what that is, kid!

- What's that, Kyuubi?

- Sai told you, before he left the village! Don't you remember?

- Hmmm, not exactly, Kyuubi…

- Then let me force your memories!

_Flashback:_

Naruto was talking to Sai during a search-and-destroy mission in the northern lands between the Earth and Lightning countries:

- Hey, Sai…

- Tell me, Naruto.

- That seal you have in your tongue, does everyone in ANBU Root have it?

- Well… - Sai felt quite free as he talked, and Naruto noticed it: - Actually, there are three seals that the leader of ANBU Black-Ops places on his underlings. I used to have only the first one: the Tongue Padlock Seal. It makes the receiver choke immediately if he talks about Root or its boss. It has the form of a tongue being cut in five, as you already saw it before.

- Loyalty ensured with death threats.

- The second seal is the Heart Suppression Seal. It makes the receiver suffer a heart attack if he ever dares to obey his conscience instead of obeying ANBU Root's boss no matter what. This one's form is an X.

- They make them suppress their Beings to become empty tools.

- The last seal is the Mind Subdue Seal. It makes the receiver suffer of an aneurysm if he ever decides to think of his own life over the Foundation's wellbeing. This seal has the form of a small line that divides the receiver's forehead in two equal halves.

- They even take their own survival instincts off them.

- An ANBU Black-Ops agent is no more than an expendable tool, a puppet, Naruto. That's why I shall run away from the Leaf during the mission, and you'll say that I died in action, getting rid of my body.

- Wait, Sai! How do I get rid of those seals? Just in case I meet another ANBU of Root.

- Sure, Naruto. Listen up. You might want to take note.

_End of flashback._

Naruto woke up, all of a sudden. Hinata noticed a change on his look, and heard him say with a commanding voice:

- Maki Yamada. I have motives to suspect you are an agent of ANBU's Root.

Maki's eyes opened widely, so as Shino's. He turned to the green-haired girl, and Naruto continued, not letting Shino talk:

- Maki, I demand you show us your chest, your tongue and your forehead, now!

Shino tried to reply, but Maki said, while getting her hands off her pockets:

- Okay…

Maki took her headband off, took off the vest and started pulling the sweater's zipper down, revealing her chest. Kiba whispered:

- Damn, Naruto is a high-class pervert, even in front of Hinata… what a bastard…

Maki showed her tongue, and Naruto recognized the three figures: the line "cutting" her forehead in two, the "tongue" cut in five, and the "X" that remarked her chest. He said then:

- Just as I suspected…

Sino's look on Maki's marks said it all to Naruto: he was genuinely worried about her, and he didn't know about those marks. _Something Shino didn't know at all… this is weird._ He drew three shuriken with an unprecedented speed and, in less than a blink, the three shuriken were piercing the three marks, with extreme precision. Hinata and Sakura noticed that the blood pouring out of the wounds was black, and Kiba and Akamaru noticed that that blood didn't smell like blood:

- That's not blood, guys!! Don't let Maki swallow that poison!!

Hinata's commanding voice replied, as she glanced to Naruto and he nodded:

- Let's take her to the waterfall! Now!

The group carried Maki and took her where Hinata was leading them. As they reached the waterfall, Hinata commanded:

- Sakura, Kiba, Shino, you three must undress her and take her into the water. Don't take the shuriken off from her wounds.

The trio started doing as Hinata said with haste, and they got her inside the water. Hinata, still with her Byakugan activated, listened to some instructions from Naruto and nodded, saying after that:

- Very well then. When I tell you, I want you to use your Wind Chakra to slice her stomach's skin. It _must_ be a shallow cut, Naruto-kun, so control your chakra. We don't want her dead. That's why we cannot use knives.

- As you command, Hinata-chan.

Naruto focused her chakra on his index and middle fingers, making it as thin as a scalpel. Meanwhile, Hinata searched for something. Finally, she found a heavily blocked chakra point in Maki, and said:

- Now!

Naruto made the slice a few inches away from Maki's stomach, and a cold and quick air blow cut the skin; Hinata hit the blocked chakra point in her chest. The blood drawing out of the four wounds was black after that first hit, but when Hinata hit a second blocked chakra point in her left thigh, the pouring blood was brown. _That's a good signal! It's good to have Hinata-chan here! If not, we couldn't even be able to try saving her._ Naruto watched the scene, ready to help, while Hinata hit a third chakra point, in her right shoulder, and the blood started pouring out in the natural red color. Hinata ordered immediately:

- Now, Sakura! Close the wounds!

Sakura worked hardly for more than five minutes, receiving assistance from the other four ninjas. As the shuriken were finally expulsed from Maki's body, and her wounds got closed, the pink-haired medic said:

- Kiba, Shino, Naruto! Bring something to dry her!

The three guys ran to the tents, searching for towels. Hinata asked to Sakura:

- Will she live?

- That poison will shorten her life in at least five years, as I could see in her organs. If Tsunade was alive, she could get totally healed… maybe we could even create an antidote… - As she wiped her sweat away from he forehead, she continued: - I've never seen chakra poisons before, Hinata…

Hinata, rearranging Maki's clothes, said:

- Each breath she takes intensifies the effects of the poison… there's something still missing, but I can't see it…

- We'll have to ask Shino to act with his bugs.

The trio arrived with towels and dried Maki completely. Sakura asked:

- Shino, make your insects search and absorb any remnants of the poison that can still be found on Maki's organism.

Shino nodded, and his bugs landed on Maki, doing their job patiently. The first swarm died a few seconds later, so he had to prepare another one, and another one, and another one. After the majority of the sixth swarm had died, the bugs returned to him. Maki reacted, still in pain and confused, but recovering her natural color:

- Nnngh…

Shino dressed Maki carefully, and he noticed that the three weird marks were gone. Maki asked him, softly:

- Shino-kun, where are we?

- We're amongst friends… we're safe, Maki-chan…

Maki took his hand and took it to her cheek, smiling and closing her eyes as she felt his heat on her face.

End of Chapter 9.

For now on, I shall give a small break on Naruto and his actual crew… I must throw some light on other characters too, as some of you had requested.

Notes: The name of Shino's girlfriend is Maki Yamada ("maki": 牧 means "pasture, grazing land" and "yamada": 山田 is a common family name in Japan that might mean something like "the rice field in the mountain").


	10. Chapter 10: Hiding in the Sand

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters.**

**Changing the view for a bit…**

Chapter 10: Hiding in the Sand.

That morning, in the Hidden Leaf Village, Danzou was proudly sitting in the Hokage's office, checking on the usual paperwork he had to handle in these last two weeks. Some letters from the Daimyou, and also some other commissions from different village governors asking for Ninjas to do missions for them. It was all as usual, except for one thing.

A grey-haired, one-eye-covered ninja and a shinobi dressed in green spandex were looking at the Hokage's office from the balcony, quite steady, like waiting for something. The _green_ guy said:

- Well, we have monitored the schedules of this new Hokage.

- Yeah, being _guardians _of such a bastard is not exactly a nice job… you think so?

- Sure.

Danzou had already uncovered his face from bandages, showing the Sharingan he stole from an Uchiha in his right eye, and the Byakugan he stole from a Mist ninja in his left eye. He was almost invincible now, and he knew where everyone was… also, he actually knew the intentions of those around him, and he felt quite safe, until _that _happened. _No, not again… Dammit!_

The Triple Seal Code he had created, with the help of ANBU Root's most talented sealing ninjas, was fully wired to his chakra system, and used also Danzou's blood, which resulted to be poisonous due to some successful genetic research done by Orochimaru on him. One chakra point in the receiver's network was marked at will by Danzou with each of seal placed at the receiver's body. That way, with each combination of three specific chakra points, Danzou could recognize which one of the agents was having trouble. When an agent died, Danzou could feel a certain sting on those chakra points, but the effect did not last for long. However, Danzou's pride and faith in such mindless drones made these seals to have a counter effect.

Whenever a seal was attacked, by any means, the seal would disappear, but the poisonous blood accumulated in the sealed agent's specific chakra points started spreading, killing the agent within few minutes. Unluckily, this strategy had a weakness, and it was one of the main reasons Danzou hid his actions from the Clan Hyuuga fiercely: when those chakra points were properly hit, both the sealed _and _Danzou suffered the effects of the attack, and, as the link was not only of chakra but also had to be made with his own blood, he suffered the poisoning as well when the situation mentioned earlier happened.

Of course, he protected his own chakra circulatory system to considerably reduce the effects of his own blood on his chakra system. He just wasn't that proud or stupid. He wanted to make sure to feel the pain of his losses and his traitors, willing to act with more hatred against them if he could find them. The problem was that every agent that was linked with those chakra points damaged in any sealed agent also suffered the effect, getting also poisoned immediately. Danzou knew the importance of keeping his tight and hidden group connected and well _convinced_ not to allow betrayals to happen, but he never thought this would actually happen someday, let alone now that he was Hokage finally.

Danzou felt how his poisonous blood spread quickly through his chest, his right shoulder and his left thigh. He already felt it happen once during the last year, when his left hand released the poison, realizing that Sai was missing. The scream of pain was shattering, and it also was an unexpected signal for Kakashi Hatake and Mighty guy to move.

Danzou opened a black chest he had beside his desk, and started checking some papers that attracted Kakashi's attention. He said:

- Well, Guy, let's do this.

- Let's not back down!

The two Jounin jumped to the windows of the Hokage's office, seeing Danzou in real pain, checking through some files Kakashi recognized immediately. _Those are ANBU Black-Ops files… that should be interesting to have._ As Danzou reached a file that both Kakashi and Guy recognized immediately, both jumped towards Danzou, tying him to the great chair tightly with metallic strings, making sure he wasn't up to anything. Danzou replied:

- WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN HERE???

Kakashi just replied:

- It seems you're interested in Root's girl…

- In Root's _only_ girl… - Guy was figuring out many things: - She was Shino's girlfriend, and probably Danzou sent her to kill Naruto undercover…

- Well, let's just hope they handled the situation properly. – As Kakashi checked that there was another folder in that special black chest, that _casually_ wasn't part of the Hokage's office furniture up to now, replied: - Guy, we might want to take that folder too.

Guy saw Kakashi rip the girl's file and the whole folder from Danzou's hands, and then muzzling him, and took the other folder. Then he said:

- Well, we better go, Kakashi.

- That's right, Guy. Goodbye, Danzou. Good luck.

As Kakashi and Guy left the office the same way they got in, Danzou's desperate screams attracted the attention of two Jounin who came to the rescue. As they took off the muzzle from Danzou's mouth, he screamed with rage:

- Mighty Guy and Kakashi Hatake!!! CAPTURE THEM AND LOCK THEM!!!

The Jounin got out, seeing how everything transformed into a forest of entangled vines and trees that became denser and denser with each second. Danzou, seeing this with his activated Byakugan, commanded:

- The same goes for Kurenai Yuuhi!!!

Danzou felt the three stings again, and this time it didn't mean that his freshest agent was attacked by some kind of expert in the chakra points attacks, but that _she was released from the entire network of Root._ He growled in the excruciating pain, immobilized still by the strings _and_ the poison. Kakashi and Guy, after running through some building ceilings, met Kurenai, and they were joined by Shizune, the most talented apprentice of the late Tsunade Senju. They all checked their backpacks, and as they nodded, Shizune said:

- You've got the two folders. Now, we must get moving. Our destiny is the Hidden Sand Village.

Kurenai, with a worried gesture, said:

- Let's go. Lord Kazekage and Shikamaru must be waiting for us over there.

The four-man team declared itself a renegade ninja team, when they threw their Leaf-identified headbands through the town, getting burned with a Tiger hand seal made by Guy. Kakashi asked:

- Hey, Guy, didn't you promise Lee you wouldn't use chakra-based techniques anymore?

- Well, that will be our little secret when we find Lee.

The Jounin moved like the wind, heading southwest as they left the Leaf Village. As they got further away from the village, perhaps four hours of running at full speed, Kurenai said:

- Must dispel the Genjutsu, I'm reaching my focusing limit.

- Go ahead, we cannot stop.

Shizune, after saying this, drew four food pills. She ate one, and gave one to each member of her new team. The rest ate the pills, and started running, noticing that their speed rate was greatly boosted. Guy asked Kurenai:

- Sorry to bother you, Kurenai, but, what about your son?

- Shikamaru and Temari of the Desert took him already to the Sand Village when he escaped with her. He even thought of this, so I could collaborate with your escape plan with no restrictions, my friends.

Kakashi replied:

- It seems that Shikamaru's promotion to Jounin this summer was an accurate decision from Lady Tsunade, just like Naruto's promotion to Chuunin.

Guy said, again:

- Sakura, Kiba and Shino are already with Naruto, but I still cannot locate my crew. Ino, Chouji and Sai are also missing for a while.

- Neji couldn't have gone too far. – Kurenai's answer was quite cold: - With him being a member of the Branch Family, and having the Caged Bird Seal, he was probably captured, and even executed, Guy.

Shizune's reply gave Guy some slight hopes:

- Even so, the _conversion_ of the Clans' Heads gives us hope for his escape, and if he's with Tenten and Lee, I can trust he's fine. We must keep on our way with no stops, and reach the Sand Village for tomorrow night.

The group nodded, and they accelerated their pace.

A day passed, and the group still was under the effect of the modified food pill created by Shizune. They arrived to the hot Wind Country. Kakashi took a scroll he had in his pocket and, after making a couple of hand seals, he released its contents: four large water coolers, full of water, and four light-weighted and white-colored tunics. They all wore the tunics, took the water coolers, and followed their path, getting deep inside the rocky and sandy lands. Kakashi opened his eyes, and replied:

- One of my clone squads was captured to the North. We're still undercover.

After hours of running, the group had finally reached the Hidden Sand Village's gates. The guards recognized the password given by Kurenai and opened them the gates. After walking for a while through the village, checking and discussing the folders' contents, they reached the Kazekage's building, recognizing the Kazekage's brother, Kankurou of the Desert, before they all collapsed to the ground.

All of a sudden, Guy woke up in a hospital room. He found out, while looking through the window, that it was two hours before the sunset, yet something felt weird. A voice he recognized spoke:

- After three days you finally wake up, Mighty Guy.

Guy turned to see the ninja of the Sand who covered half his face and his head with a white cloth. He replied:

- Oh, I'm sorry, lord Baki, but did you just say _three days_? What time is it?

- It's four o'clock, and you're the first one to wake up.

- How are the others?

- Everyone is fine; they're probably being awakened by now.

Guy, jumping off the bed with renewed strength, made his trade marked 'nice guy pose' to Baki and replied:

- Very well! Now we need to see Lord Kazekage! Let's go!

Baki couldn't believe that a high-classed Jounin like the Green Beast would actually behave like that daily. Now he felt quite ashamed of walking beside him. One by one, the rest of the Leaf ninjas left their hospital rooms, and met Guy and Baki. After their respective greetings, they were taken, along with their stuff, to meet the Kazekage.

Gaara's office was quite spartan: only one desk, a couple of shelves, some file cabinets and a couple of large windows. Gaara sat on his desk, doing his usual paperwork, while Kankurou drew him more papers on the desk. Close to one of the large windows, Shikamaru and Temari were chatting idly. Kurenai got relieved when she saw them play with her son. _He arrived safely, thank Gods._ The baby recognized her, pleading his _babysitters_ to take him to her. Gaara spoke:

- Welcome. Please, sit down.

Gaara pointed out a small couch, camouflaged with the office's walls' colors. The kunoichi sat there, while Kakashi and Guy drew two folders from their backpacks. The first one said:

- Lord Gaara, we have some information about the Sixth Hokage's conquest plans.

Gaara glanced at Shikamaru, and he said:

- Hmm, I see you could retrieve the folders that made my father get killed…

Kurenai said:

- He wasn't _exactly_ killed, as his soulless body is still there, obeying the Sixth Hokage. Also, Shino's father, Kiba's mother, Hinata's father, Ino's father and Chouji's father were also treated the same way for that folder's information. The High Clans worked as example for the Low Clans to remain loyal to Danzou.

Temari noticed how Shikamaru turned sad and quite upset, and she hugged him, knowing how impotent he felt about not being able to think of a way to stop those atrocious actions. These last two weeks took their toll on him, and she tried her best to recover him. Shikamaru understood the reasons for that hug, and returned the gesture softly, letting a tear escape from his usually indifferent eyes. Temari dried his tear, and he said, with broken voice:

- Any information on the Twelve of the Leaf?

- Naruto and Hinata ran away together to the southeast. – Guy replied: - The last thing I knew was that Kiba and Sakura had reached them, and that Shino and his girlfriend were trailing them also.

Shikamaru remembered Shino's hot girlfriend and turned serious:

- An ANBU from Root on her way to Naruto… I don't like that at all…

Kakashi eased the tension for a bit:

- Danzou keeps his Root agents bonded in a complicate network of chakra, blood and poison bonds. Those who receive the three seals get bonded to three chakra points of Danzou's body.

Shizune replied, capturing Shikamaru and Temari's full attention:

- Apparently, every time an ANBU Root agent receives a seal, a chakra point receives some sort of poison that I've not been able to determine properly yet. Also apparently, Root's leader was capable of controlling the poison through the seal bonding. To release a Root agent from the seals, at least a talented Medic Ninja, a Sharingan or Byakugan user, preferably the latter, and a great source of fresh water are necessary, and also they need to act quite fast. When someone gets released from this bonding network, it takes its toll on our actual Sixth Hokage.

Kurenai said:

- It seems that, through this bond, Danzou can poison his agents if he sees in them a slight suspicion of free will. Now, apparently, if someone is released from the seals as Shizune told before, then Danzou himself is the one who suffers the poisoning, to a minor degree.

Guy said:

- We could steal the folders and make a run for it because Danzou was suffering heavy body aches. After studying them more thoroughly on our way here, we actually think that it was due to all what the other guys explained before. The affected regions were the right shoulder, the chest and the left thigh. And this is the only agent in Root who matched that sealing code.

Guy drew Maki Yamada's file from the folder, showing it to everyone inside that office. Kakashi said:

- We might deduce that she was released when we ran away; perhaps even before that. And, if she's with Shino, maybe she was released by Naruto's group.

Temari asked, not convinced:

- You actually think that knucklehead could do such complex work?

Kakashi replied:

- He had an ANBU Root agent as a teammate for almost a year, and he only had the seal on his tongue, so he could give him the proper information with no problems. Naruto is not such a douchebag, and now he's a Chuunin.

Shizune said:

- Also, he has the best medic in the Leaf's Twelve, and also has Hinata Hyuuga with him.

Temari nodded and glanced to Shikamaru, who smiled again with that sarcastic grin she found so funny. He said:

- Well, let's go get that group of six. To the southeast, you said?

- Yes. By the time Lee, Neji and Tenten show signs of life we shall go get them too.

Everyone noticed the concern in Guy's voice when he said that. Kakashi asked:

- When is the search team getting ready?

Kankurou replied:

- You still need to get some real rest. We shall call you when we actually get some time to discuss that. No more than two days for that, I hope. Meanwhile, be welcome to the Hidden Sand Village.

Gaara gave Guy two keys:

- You can stay in the building in front of this one. There are two empty rooms you could share.

The Jounin bowed to Gaara and left the office.

Later, that night, Shikamaru wandered through the village's streets, watching groups of children playing, seeing how the sand was slightly removed from the floor, thanks to the wind; anyways, he just tried to clear up his mind. He'd rather walk alone; sometimes because of him not wanting to talk to anybody else, other times because he felt, once more, like an idiot, even when he was already a highly respected Jounin in several Nations. He found himself in a children park and lied on a bench, staring at the starry sky while the kids played around. After ten or fifteen minutes (it was kind of troublesome to count the time with this state of mind, and, who cared about that anyway?) the kids left to their homes, and, all of a sudden, he heard a very familiar voice:

- Hey, Shika-kun, what's wrong?

Shikamaru turned to detail the pretty blonde girl who checked up on him. Her hair tied in four spiky tails, like the corners of a square, moved a bit with the wind, and her brown eyes looked at him with sweetness and concern. He just replied, sitting on the bench:

- It's okay, Temari. I just need to clear my mind a bit.

Temari sat to his side, as he made space for her, and she said:

- I don't believe you. Every night I've seen you do the same thing: wander aimlessly through the streets of the village until you decide to go to the place Gaara allowed you to have as haven. And every time I see you do that you look just so sad… it worries me, Shika-kun…

Shikamaru lowered his sight and Temari got close to him:

- If there's anything that I can do for you, Shika-kun, tell me and I'll do it right away…

Temari held his hand and smiled, eyes turning glassy and smile showing concern:

- Please?

Shikamaru squeezed her hand gently and said, with low voice:

- After defeating that bastard Hidan, from Akatsuki, I vowed that I'd use my intelligence and my skills to protect my friends, Temari… and, and now I don't even know if they're still alive… or not… - Shedding a tear, he continued: - I could do nothing to avoid my family from becoming mindless automatons… I could do nothing to avoid Lady Tsunade's death… how the hell could I possibly be called Jounin?

Temari took his other hand and whispered to his ear:

- Shika-kun… you've protected me so many times in this last month… so as my brothers… Your friends are the Twelve of the Leaf, so as you are. Soon we shall search for five of them.

Temari kissed Shikamaru's cheek, and both blushed. She said:

- We shall find them, I promise. Jounin's word, friend's word, and…

When Shikamaru turned to her, Temari closed her eyes and kissed his lips. Shikamaru got quite surprised, but he continued the kiss. Temari cut it out and said, nervous:

- …and, if you want it that way too, _girlfriend's word_…

Shikamaru couldn't avoid a smile:

- I like that… but no complaining if we end up being troublesome…

Temari kissed him again, teasing him as she giggled:

- …it's a deal… and you better not dare to break it, you hear me? Heh, heh!

- Heh, heh, you're one to talk, Temari-chan.

- Let's go home… - Temari suddenly interrupted her own speech: - No, that's a bad idea; I like it a lot more here with you, Shika-kun.

Temari and Shikamaru melted in a soft hug, and she whispered:

- I think it was quite a cute detail that you thought of me for your runaway, and I'm really thankful that you had decided to come here… I felt so lonely, bored… and sad… - This time she was the one to let a tear escape her eyes: - You've been my only friend, Shika-kun… and, even when it's so troublesome, I just fell in love with you too, you know?

Temari blushed again, her face turning pink, and Shikamaru caressed her cheek with a hand:

- Yes, I know it's quite troublesome, because I've been feeling the same since you saved my life some years ago, Temari-chan…

- That you fell in love with _yourself_?

Both burst out in laughter, but Shikamaru replied:

- No… that I fell in love with you, silly girl…

Temari got up of the bench and Shikamaru did so after her. She said:

- Tomorrow we shall convince Gaara to include us in the search team…

- Hmm, thanks again, Temari-chan.

- You want to… come to my house? Kankurou is with his students in the puppet workshop, and he'll be there up to tomorrow afternoon.

Shikamaru checked on her merry face, still with tears, and dried some of them with his gentle thumb. Then he said:

- Well, let's see my schedule… - he returned to his sarcastic grin, but he finally said, smiling gently: - I had no plans for the night, Temari-chan, so, let's go.

Temari smiled at him, closing her eyes in a sweet gesture, and Shikamaru remembered a conversation he had with his father some years ago:

_Flashback_

Shikamaru and his father, the legendary Shikaku Nara, were having breakfast quite early in the morning that day. Shikamaru had to **endure**, once more, the morning yelling his mother gave him. The door bell was ringing, and she went to check out. As father and son were left alone, he asked:

- Hey, dad…

- Nnngh, what's up?

- Why did you marry such a strict woman?

Shikaku Nara glanced at him and said:

- Well, kid, she's quite strict, yes, but there are moments in which she smiles genuinely, and she looks just beautiful when she is truly happy… - Seeing the doubtful expression on Shikamaru's face, the father continued: - I guess I married her for those moments, so I could keep seeing her like that… You'll understand as you grow up, kid…

_End of flashback_

Now, as he checked on the smiling and blushed face of the girl who walked beside him, handheld, he turned to the starry sky. _Now I get it, father… Thank you…_

End of Chapter 10.

Another long one, hope I didn't bore you at all…

Finally, my favorite character in the series shows up: Shikamaru Nara! It cost me a bit to start his apparition, but I finally got it, and I kind of liked it! So, Enjoy!!


	11. Chapter 11: The New Ally

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or its characters.**

**Back again…**

Chapter 11: The New Ally.

The next day, Shino woke up. He checked outside his tent, and found Maki preparing the breakfast. She seemed happy, even when she had her forehead covered in bandages, so as her chest, to cover her latest wounds. She perceived him getting close slowly and said:

- Good morning, Shino. Did you sleep well?

Shino answered, drawing out of his backpack some plastic dishes and some chopsticks:

- Well, I've slept better before, how about you?

- Better than ever! Don't know what happened yesterday, or why are we outside the village, but I feel great. Are we on a mission, Shino?

_She remembers nothing from the last fifteen days. I better tell the rest about this._ Shino answered:

- Not exactly, Maki. I shall wash my mouth in the waterfall; I'll come back to eat with you.

- Don't keep me waiting.

Shino walked quite fast to Naruto and Hinata's camp, and saw them having breakfast together. He got close to them, worried:

- Good morning, Hinata, Naruto.

- Hey there, Shino. – Naruto's answer was quite merry, compared to the reception Shino received from him yesterday: - Something wrong? Come, sit with us.

- It's about Maki.

Naruto asked then, interested:

- How is she?

- She remembers absolutely nothing about the last fifteen days… since the day Danzou put the seal on her forehead…

Hinata was quite surprised:

- S-she remembers nothing?

- She actually thinks that we're on a mission, what can I say to her?

Naruto glanced to Hinata, and she nodded. He replied:

- Bring Kiba, Sakura and Maki. We need to discuss this in group.

Shino nodded and left. Hinata asked then:

- Did this happen to Sai either?

- Sai only had trouble speaking for a couple of weeks, as long as I recall. The day I saw him after getting released, during that mission in the Lightning Country, he still felt dizzy when talking. So, for the receiver of the Mind Subdue Seal, the affected area is the memory. We must deal with it immediately.

- I understand, Naruto-kun…

Naruto hugged a worried Hinata, kissing her forehead and whispering her:

- Don't worry, Hinata-chan, we're quite close from our destiny…

Hinata, curious, whispered her question:

- Um… Where are we going, Naruto-kun?

- We're heading to the house that belonged to my mother in the ancient Whirlpool country, who had its own Hidden Village before the Third Great Ninja War smashed it. The town where she lived during her childhood is standing still, and she left me the property scrolls of that house, in case I was forced to leave the Hidden Leaf. She lived close to the beach, you knew that?

- No, I didn't! That's great!

Naruto chuckled, nodding with his head. Shino interrupted the chat:

- Well, we're here.

Hinata and Naruto broke their hug, and both saw them arrive. Shino explained the situation:

- As she told you earlier, she is Maki Yamada, member of the Clan Yamada. She is my girlfriend, and also a Chuunin of the Leaf…

- Got it. – Sakura's response was quite serious. Maki saluted, waving a hand and smiling gently:

- Hello, guys!

- Hi, Maki…

Everyone saluted Maki neutrally, as they heard Shino:

- Maki has no memories of her last fifteen days… more or less since the day Danzou called her to join ANBU Root's forces.

Maki turned to Shino's serious expression, surprised:

- Fifteen days?? – She then snapped and burst in tears: - No!! My family!! NOOO!!!

Shino hugged her with strength, fighting against her outrageous and impotent shaking. Naruto asked, with commanding voice and blunt words:

- Maki, what happened to your family?

Maki, sobbing, remembered the scene once again, and, crying inconsolably, she replied:

- T-there were… masked ninjas… and… and that bandaged man… - Maki focused on the man's awfully emotionless face: - a red eye and a white eye…

Kiba replied:

- I remember that Danzou was the leader of ANBU Black-Ops, and also now he's the Hokage… that's a big problem…

Sakura said:

- The Sixth Hokage killed your family, Maki, and almost makes you kill us all…

Hinata continued:

- He sealed you so you could… become a p-puppet, for ANBU Root…

Maki, completely broken, bowed on the floor, falling on her knees, completely penitent, as more and more images jumped to her mind:

- I-I'm so, so sorry, guys!! I-I don't know what to do to… to make you forgive me…!

Naruto checked at her, and heard Kyuubi:

- Somehow I knew she was innocent… Even when she had done terrible things in two weeks, there was something in her eyes that told me she didn't actually sign up to do them… This is _the real_ Maki Yamada…

Naruto woke up, checking on Hinata, and then on Kiba and Sakura, and said:

- Well, don't look at me. I'm not exactly the leader of sorts, so each one of you; please consider your opinions about it.

Sakura said:

- You need to heal your memory, and remember what happened in these two weeks. If you'll join us, we need to know what you've done, and what should we be aware of about you.

Kiba asked:

- What do you say, Akamaru? You trust Shino's girl?

Akamaru got close to Maki and smelled her, growling. Maki, scared against the big white dog, heard Kiba say:

- You'll have to show Akamaru your worth, girl…

Naruto stared at her amethyst eyes, and said:

- I agree with you coming with us, but we need to know what you have done.

Hinata nodded and Shino said:

- Never forget that you can count on me, Maki…

Maki, after hearing them, she replied, still bent on her knees:

- I-I accept your terms… thank you…

Kiba saw a still penitent Maki and asked kind of changing the subject, but in a blunt way:

- Well, we've got to eat something, right?

Sakura replied:

- Yes. Kiba and I haven't had breakfast.

Shino's answer was quite soft:

- Neither Maki nor I have.

Hinata, smiling, said:

- We already had breakfast! We're going for training!

- As we finish our training we're moving! Tonight Hinata and I shall arrive to our destiny, and if you wish so, it can also be yours too!

Kiba, kind of thrilled, replied:

- Very well! You call for it! Sakura and I will handle Maki!

Naruto made a grin and his "thumbs up" sign with a hand, leaving then with Hinata to some lonely place in the forest. Both had undone their camps and packed everything ready.

Naruto and Hinata had developed an amazing synchrony as part of their training; the fact of them being so well together and discovering each other more and more every single day (and also discovering themselves on their inside) thanks to their mutual love, had made their synchrony training develop quickly and smoothly in two weeks. Now, they were ready to work in collaboration techniques. Naruto checked on Hinata and asked:

- How are you doing with your Water chakra training, Hinata-chan?

Hinata smiled, blushed:

- Great, Naruto-kun! I can add now some water to my habitual skills!

Naruto checked on her, also smiling, and asked:

- How about a Taijutsu practice combat, Air against Water?

- That's a great idea!

Naruto adopted his own developed stance: right hand behind in open position, and left and to the front, index and middle finger stretched and pointing at Hinata. She adopted the classical Hyuuga combat stance. Both crossed sights as they charged their chakra, and a spectacular battle would start. Naruto used mostly circular attacks, and frontal attacks when he had been sure of his target; Hinata used both circular and frontal attacks, and she used her hands for her attacks mostly, as the Gentle Fist style commanded. After some five minutes, they stopped the fight. Both were tired: Hinata had cuts in her arms and one leg, and Naruto had bruises in his chest and legs. Both were quite in pain, but they could take the heat. Naruto said:

- Wow! I've never imagined the Water chakra was so good with your Gentle Fist, Hinata-chan! It's amazing!

Hinata chuckled:

- And your Taijutsu… I've never seen anything like that before, Naruto-kun! Where did you learn that?

Naruto took a hand to his hair:

- Well, heh, heh, I had to practice it during missions. This Taijutsu style belonged to my mother, as she was a Wind-chakra user. I learned it from scrolls they left, and I practiced while outside the village, so I could not devastate the protective forest, heh, heh.

- Well… I actually like that style, Naruto-kun… now, can we start?

- Yeah, let's stop competing and start collaborating.

Both smiled and got close to each other. Naruto spoke:

- Well, Hinata-chan, let's see what we can invent now…

Hinata thought for a few seconds and whispered:

- Naruto-kun… we don't handle Genjutsu skills normally… How about creating a… a combined Genjutsu skill?

Naruto suddenly felt ashamed, lowering his sight and turning to a side as he spoke:

- Hinata-chan… I-I'm not good at all with Genjutsu… I don't even have the minimum intelligence required to detect when I'm under a Genjutsu… That's what everyone used to tell me, and that was a misadvantage I've always had against the Uchiha ninjas...

Hinata whispered, brushing Naruto's whisker marks with her thumbs gently:

- Well, Naruto-kun… I can teach you how to detect a Genjutsu… - Hinata's blush reached a deep red tone: - If… if you actually want, do you?

- Really, Hinata-chan? That should be awesome!

- Yes… we could go and study… I-I'll do my best to not get you bored…

Hinata kissed Naruto and took him to the waterfall. Once there, they sat down and started studying Genjutsu basics.

Meanwhile, Shino, Sakura and Kiba were taking care of Maki. Kiba helped Sakura diligently, as she mildly used her Medical Ninjutsu on her brain. She learned a bit of brain illness treatment with Ino Yamanaka, but she wasn't a trained mentalist, so she had to work carefully. Shino held Maki's hand, so she could drain the pain and the pressure of Sakura's treatment by squeezing it. After some minutes, Sakura said to Kiba:

- I've found the last poison remnant in her brain, Kiba; prepare to take the poison and avoid it from falling again inside her mouth. It can only be released through the nose, so… - then, turning to Maki, she said: - this will hurt you, girl…

Maki nodded as Sakura made a careful movement with her fingers. Kiba noticed that a couple of black drops fell through the nose holes of the green-haired girl, and rushed to dry and clean them with a tissue. He left it under Maki's nose for about thirty seconds, until Sakura told him to withdraw it. Shino felt Maki squeeze his hands with a lot of strength, and also heard her growl in pain. That tissue, along with another twelve previously used, turned to black. Kiba said, watching Sakura sit on the floor, tired:

- I understand now why you're so stressed sometimes, Sakura. The medic job requires steel nerves…

Kiba stood then by Sakura's back, massaging her shoulders, and listening to a lovely whisper from her:

- Aaahhh… Thanks, Kiba-chan, you always know what I need, heh, heh…

- What kind of a boyfriend would I be if I didn't know, Sakura-chan?

Both smiled, while Shino looked down at Maki, very worried. She opened her eyes slowly, and met Shino's sunglasses:

- Shino… calm down, I'm feeling much better now… - Shino held her hand softly and she continued: - I'd love to kiss you now, but Sakura told me to wait until my tongue healed completely… damn it…

- Please, Maki, rest for a bit…

As if commanded by the demons themselves, when these words were told, Maki felt a rush of terrible and crude images entering her mind. As it happened, she shook and moaned, scarily:

- NOOO!!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE??!! NOOOOO!!!!

Kiba and Shino jumped to hold Maki, and Akamaru jumped into her legs, making weight to immobilize her. The giant dog didn't bark or growl at her, as it could already smell her terror. Sakura realized what she'd been put through and, placing herself in a position where she could immobilize Maki, said to Kiba:

- Honey, please, go get Hinata and Naruto now. I think it's time.

- At once, my dear.

Kiba smelled and started searching for the couple's scent.

In the waterfall, Naruto had realized something he completely missed in the Academy, and said, very happy:

- So, that's how you detect a Genjutsu! It's so interesting, Hinata-chan! Finally I got it through my skull!

Hinata giggled while seeing Naruto so excited. _Naruto-kun understood my __lesson__, heh, heh. It was tough, but I could help him._ She said:

- Heh, heh, and that's why you have to send a chakra pulse through your whole body to get released from a Genjutsu you couldn't avoid: the pain caused by the chakra pulse awakens you from those illusions…

- Well, now we can work on a great Genjutsu, Hinata-chan!

All of a sudden, they could hear the echoed scream of Maki:

- NOOO!!!! WHAT HAVE I DONE??!! NOOOOO!!!!

They got alarmed by that scream, and ran to the voice. As they stepped through trees and bushes, they reached their camp site and took their backpacks, meeting with Kiba:

- Naruto! Hinata! It's time to listen to Maki!

Naruto and Hinata nodded, following Kiba to the camp.

After listening to the things Maki had to say, and the heartbreaking sadness that those statements produced her, Shino hugged her and didn't seem to let her go: he was **protecting **her, and both Naruto and Hinata recognized the gesture. Sakura and Kiba were quite worried: the things they just heard from Maki's lips were simply horrifying:

- Y-you killed… the Twelve Shinobi Guardians? – Sakura's voice was trembling.

- And also you murdered the Fire Country's Feudal Lord? – Kiba was quite upset. Hinata tried to ease the tension:

- W-well, Maki… it seems you've done… terribly dark deeds… - Kiba was about to agree with her, but Hinata simply overwhelmed the group with her next sentence: - B-but your repenting is genuine… and it seems y-you're quite s-strong…

Naruto replied, also surprising the group, as if he tried to retain the title of "Hidden Leaf's Number One Unpredictable Ninja" after Hinata's statement:

- And Danzou will surely drop the blame on us, the Twelve of the Leaf… - Kiba and Shino turned to Naruto, overwhelmed of his quick thinking: - I don't know if that bastard Danzou ordered already to inscribe us in the Bingo Book, but, what's certain in here is that, if we split up now, we'll die… - With this last statement, Naruto made Maki raise her sight to meet his fierce blue eyes: - And Shino won't let you die for coming with us…

Maki, still crying and sobbing, but feeling her heart grow with Naruto's serious glare, replied:

- I-I shall… p-protect you… if anyone comes to, to attack us… because of me, I-I shall s-stop them m-myself…

Naruto replied to her:

- Maki, you are now in this group, so, if anything happens, we shall fight by your side. As I know Shino cares deeply about you, then I say we cannot treat you as if we didn't care about you.

Hinata continued:

- You will be our ally… and, if you want it, our _friend_… if you decide to join us as renegade ninjas… but, if you wish to go back to the hidden Leaf, then we shall do what we have to do…

Sakura and Kiba nodded, still shocked due to Maki's past actions and Naruto's mature comprehension of the situation. Maki, cleaning her tears, said:

- The Hidden Leaf Village has nothing to offer me anymore, and I've got no motives to go back there… so… - Maki took her headband and buried it on the ground, using her Earth chakra to turn some ground into mud, burying the headband in it and then compacting the mud into earth again with her chakra: - so, count me as one more renegade.

Naruto and Hinata smiled gently to Maki's determination, and both Kiba and Sakura still kept an eye on her, as she hugged Shino. After deciding she had no deceiving intent, they smiled and glanced at Akamaru, who smelled and barked. Kiba replied:

- You really think so, Akamaru? Yeah, me too… they truly love each other.

After that, the group packed up and continued their journey to the southeast.

End of Chapter 11.


	12. Chapter 12: The Search Team

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters.**** Also, the new ones who show up are absolutely of my creation, so I hope there's no one complaining about that.**

Chapter 12: The Search Team.

In the Hidden Sand Village, the next day, Gaara, Temari, Kankurou and Shikamaru debated about who should join the search team that would go after the Renegade Twelve of the Leaf. Kankurou's voice sounded quite worried:

- But, once we brought them here, what shall we do? We're going to lose our alliance with the Hidden Leaf!

Gaara, checking on his paper stack, rather short, found something that made him start frowning:

- Guess that's not an issue anymore, brother… - Gaara showed a letter, signed with the seal of the Leaf: - The Hidden leaf has broken every kind of relationship with the other Hidden Villages. Someone who wishes to live for war, and who _can_ do it, as this Sixth Hokage is, - the words "Sixth Hokage" were pronounced with certain killing intent from Gaara: - he can't have allies that he can't use as he desires. That's why I've sent letters to the Great Hidden Villages: the Rock, the Mist and the Cloud. I'm proposing a major alliance against this situation. Only the Hidden Mist has answered properly, and we shall count on their assistance.

- And, what will this help consist of, Gaara? – Shikamaru's question was quite blunt, but they all recognized it as completely necessary. Gaara replied:

- Well, it will consist of shelter possibilities, alliance in combat, fair trade commerce, information and responsibilities exchange. The Twelve of the Leaf shall be well received by both us and them as allies.

- Hmm, I understand. – Shikamaru nodded then, taking his hand to his chin, in a thinking gesture: - Well, even so, knowing Naruto as he is, we shall have to go and tell him about this… just like the rest of them.

Gaara replied right there:

- To start, we shall bring them here, and, as the rest of the group shows up, we shall keep bringing them. Once we have them all reunited, we shall head to the hidden Mist Village with them, so we can establish the defensive features.

Temari intervened:

- I see… - Shikamaru caught her line of thought and let her talk: - You don't want to attack until Danzou's intentions are completely figured out.

- His intentions are quite clear, after what we checked on his personal folder. – Shikamaru completed the idea: - I think that the prudential time is to wait for the response of the Hidden Rock and the Hidden Cloud, before throwing a full-scale attack on the Leaf.

Kankurou argued:

- And, even so, we have to count on Akatsuki and the Minor Hidden Villages.

Gaara frowned, at his answer:

- We already know that the Hidden Sound is somehow interesting for the Sixth Hokage and the Council Advisors of the Leaf. On the other hand, we also know about the Hidden Rain: they are Naruto's personal allies. So we have to watch over the Hidden Grass and the Hidden Waterfall. These villages are just interested to become military powers at the Great Villages' stake. Akatsuki will still be a great issue, but I think that an alliance between the Hidden Villages should be strong enough, even for _them_. Actually, this possibility was tried before, but, due to the fact of Akatsuki being unable to be found, this alliance turned into a simple truce of expectancy. Now that the threats appear in several flanks at the same time, and we don't know yet if they're linked somehow or not, then there's nothing better to do than remembering the Alliance and getting ready for whatever might come. The death of Lady Tsunade won't help us at all, and Danzou as Hokage is a constant and pressuring threat.

Temari said:

- Our search team must contain expert scout ninjas, defensive strategists and tacticians who have experience in ambushes, and trace-hiding skilled shinobi.

Shikamaru completed the idea:

- Also, a group that's strong enough to defend the protégés from any possible threat. We already know that the Leaf might be on their way to get them.

Gaara checked on the group and said:

- Shikamaru, Temari, prepare the team that will go on this mission. I shall be quite occupied with some stuff in here. Kankurou and I cannot leave the village, so you two shall command this search mission. We've already gathered some info on your friends, take this. – Gaara handed Shikamaru a scroll, and continued: - You may retreat, you'll leave at dusk.

Shikamaru and Temari abandoned the office quickly. Gaara, staying alone, as Kankurou went to check on his students, decided to double-check on the folders' content:

- ANBU Root's full dossier… and the codified messaged received by Danzou from the Hidden Sound's leader: Kabuto Yakushi… I must check all of this over and over again.

He sat calmly, as he checked on the documents and took notes.

In the streets of the Sand, Temari held Shikamaru's hand and said:

- We shall search for the group in these hours. We shall take Kakashi, Guy and Shizune. Go tell them, as I prepare the group that shall complete the squadron.

- Very well, Temari-chan, we shall meet in my apartment to arrange everything.

Both split up after a short kiss, as no one was watching them exactly.

Shikamaru returned to the building where he was living, and called the Jounin of the Leaf for a meeting in his apartment. They all nodded, following him. Once inside, Kakashi asked:

- What's wrong, Shikamaru?

- We're going after our friends, and we shall need you three. – As Shikamaru pointed at Kakashi, Guy and Shizune, Kurenai, who was taking to her baby, asked:

- You're going after Naruto?

- Sure, master Kurenai. I shall Need Kakashi for his tracking skill, his tracking summons and his Sharingan. Shizune, right now you are the most talented Medic Ninja in the world, so I shall need you as a support unit. Guy, your Taijutsu _and_ Ninjutsu skills are just necessary to defend the search team _and _the protégés. - Kurenai glanced at Shikamaru, surprised of the quick thinking of Shikamaru, who continued with his statement: - I'd rather have you stay here, Kurenai. Other than that you won't have anyone who can take care of your child, your Genjutsu skills shall be more necessary inside the village. Of course, if you can adapt them to the environment where we are now, it should be great.

Kurenai said, grinning:

- I know what you mean. No one will believe an entangling forest in the middle of the desert. I'll put hands to work as soon as you leave. Thanks for also considering me in this.

Guy replied then:

- Great! Let's go then! Our youthful spirits cannot wither now!

In that moment, the door was knocked, and Temari showed up, with her team behind her. Temari introduced the new party members, pointing at a guy who was as tall as Kakashi, and who wore a gas mask:

- This is Kirimaru. He is a scent-deleting master; this way we can avoid hound-using trackers from reaching us.

She then pointed to a cream-colored hair guy whose left half of the face was covered with half of a cat ANBU mask. His right eye was gray-colored. She called:

- This one is Dorou. He's an Earth Style user, so he can delete our tracks as we keep moving.

Then, Temari pointed at the third member. The girl was wearing a long jacket that had multiple pockets stitched around it. Her head was covered by a hood, and her eyes were black:

- And this is Hagane. She is the Third Kazekage's granddaughter, and as such, she inherited his Iron Style techniques.

Shikamaru, checking on the gathered members, he sat apart from them all and made his usual hand position for thinking while playing Shougi. Temari recognized it, and, even when she still didn't understand at all why he did it, she intuitively knew he was making a plan. Kakashi also recognized the hand position: thumbs together and fingertips of the other fingers together, forming some sort of sphere, with the thumbs on top. After twenty seconds, he stood up and said:

- I've got the tracking formation.

In that moment, the door was knocked again. At Temari's voice the door was opened, and both Kakashi and Shikamaru got happy when they checked out on the visitor:

- Good to see you, Yamato.

Yamato spoke, quite relaxed:

- Kakashi-sempai, Shikamaru, lord Kazekage had received me, and he was rather convincing when he advised me to come give you a hand.

- Actually, this completes my formation quite smoothly, Captain Yamato. – Shikamaru spoke rather decisively: - Listen carefully now.

Temari, knowing what Shikamaru would need, gave him a scroll and a pencil. The rest watched him drawing nine figures, grouped in trios in a vertical line. Shikamaru said:

- We shall travel in line formation, but also in groups of three ninjas. In the first group there shall be Kakashi, Guy and me. Kakashi is our tracker. He can summon the Ninja Hounds, and also use his own scent-tracking skills. Also, with his Sharingan, he can double-check in the blink of an eye for traps, Genjutsu or ambush parties. Guy and I will protect Kakashi's sides. Guy is the most skilled Taijutsu fighter in the Leaf, and, on the other way, he and Kakashi fight quite well together. On the other side, I shall cover them both, and stop whoever can attack over my side, so the ones behind me can attack them. Else, being close from the tracker, I can actually trace action lines in less time, in case of any situation that might force us to change the plan.

Aiming at the middle group, he said:

- In the middle, there will be Shizune, Hagane and Temari. Shizune will be in the middle, so from that place she can attend any injured ninja from the front, the middle or the back quickly. Temari and Hagane have quite powerful attacks, and can protect Shizune, so as they can help to the front and to the back also quickly. You are the main support group, so you must also be very perceptive, as the other groups will be quite busy on our labors.

Aiming to the three last ones, he said:

- Yamato, Kirimaru and Dorou will be in the back group. You three shall work in deleting every single track, scent or lead we might leave. Also, even when you're strong, you can receive support from Temari and Hagane, as you will surely be quite busy for detecting any enemies.

As he opened the scroll further, he talked to everyone:

- Remember that we cannot allow ourselves to be discovered, so we shall have to be extremely careful not to leave any kind of tracks.

Then, Shikamaru drew a combat formation in another section of the scroll:

- We eight shall surround Shizune in case we have to fight, and we must fight to avoid her from getting harmed. In case of need, she can provide backup, but she will have to be our backup, not only for healing, but also for observing and watching our backs. She will be the one seeing underneath the underneath as we fight.

Shizune nodded, and the rest of the group agreed, quite silently. Temari completed the idea:

- Remember that, on the way, we shall have to change the combat formations, and study them. As long as we keep finding resistance, we shall have to change our defensive strategies. We shall leave at dust, so we shall see you there with the route to follow.

The group nodded and retired. Temari took Shikamaru's hand, and he, quite tired, let himself fall on the couch, saying:

- This mission will be quite tough, and will take us some good time. Else, I don't want to risk their lives.

- I get it, Shika-kun. Which route shall we take?

- I shall recommend running through the neutral lands to the south, for meeting the least _curious_ people possible, and for having not only plenty of space to defend ourselves, but also for having the forests as a hiding place to make ambushes and attend the wounded while hiding, instead of doing it backwards.

Temari watched him sigh, tired, and sat beside him, caressing his cheek:

- Once we get the southeast of the continent we shall start searching for Naruto, and whoever is with him. You've done a hell of a job, Shika-kun.

Shikamaru lied on the couch, laying his head on Temari's lap, and she caressed his face gently. Both were tense, but it if wasn't done now, it will never be done. They rested there, together, until the time to meet up with the rest of their squadron came.

End of Chapter 12.

P.D.: The names of the new characters are: Hagane (鋼 = steel), Kirimaru (霧丸 = something like "the mist man"), and Dorou (土郎: something like "the son of Earth"). It's quite hard to find the proper combinations for the new names in Japanese, so I guess I'm actually doing some good effort. =)


	13. Chapter 13: The Uzumaki House

**Disclaimer: I don't ****own Naruto, or its characters.**

**I'm sorry for the recent delay, I've been lately quite busy with the paperwork to enter the college… but I'm back with a little more of this story.**

Chapter 13: The Uzumaki House.

Two days have passed, and the group finally reached their destiny. They entered a busy town in the Whirlpool Country, a country that fell from its grace thanks to the Third Great Wars; even when their cities are still attractive for tourists and merchants, they have no Ninja forces that support, or protect, their population.

Kiba noticed the villagers were mostly fishermen, and that the town was quite active. The town people received fishing ships constantly, and, as the whole group could comprehend, the interaction that tourists and merchants had with the villagers was quite continuous, either by seas or by land. There were butcheries, fish markets, imported-products sellers, lots of gambling posts, some adult places, bars, restaurants, some fruit and vegetable gardens outside the town, and even there was a theater and attractions for children. Naruto recognized this town during his trips with Jiraiya, and smiled, as he saw nothing had changed.

They walked until they reached the building of the city hall. Once there, Naruto entered to meet the town's mayor. He was a bald man, with a bushy, brown moustache that covered his mouth, big and almost popping-out eyes hidden behind some glasses, he was fat and he dressed quite well. The man saw Naruto and, after checking that his group was behind, asked:

- Hmmm, ninja kids… You come to report to me of your arrival?

Naruto drew a scroll out of his pouch and said, showing it to the mayor:

- My name is Naruto Uzumaki, and I've come to claim property of the Uzumaki House. My deceased mother left me the property title, and now I come to ask permission from you sir to live in this town, in the Uzumaki house.

The mayor checked the scroll, cleansing his glasses, and said:

- Hmmm, okay. It's all in order in here. Welcome to the small Fish Village. – Naruto's happy face vanished when the old man said: - But… - Naruto noticed how the mayor frowned, and continued: - Since a while ago, that house has been used by a bunch of ninjas as a headquarters… I've known nothing else about them, but now I know they have no right to stay there, as you have the property papers.

Naruto frowned too, and saw the old man call for two guards. They wore light armors, and had spears in their hands. The mayor said:

- Escort mister Uzumaki to his family's house, and dump whoever can be there.

Naruto and the two guards got out of the building, meeting the rest of the group, and the six followed the two guards. They reached a very small and quite broken house, and the guards smiled, in a mocking mood, leaving them on their own. Sakura frowned and Kiba smelled, like Akamaru. Naruto heard Kyuubi:

- That's an A-class Genjutsu, kid. Watch out.

In that moment, he heard Hinata activate her Byakugan silently, and say:

- N-Naruto-kun… it's a very p-powerful Genjutsu…

Shino, after checking on Naruto's nodding, said:

- Guess we all detected this Genjutsu, now we must undo it. Kiba, Hinata, can you recognize how many people are in this place?

Kiba started smelling, focused, and Hinata focused chakra on her eyes. After a few seconds, Kiba was a bit confused, but Hinata said:

- Twelve persons outside the house, in some tree branches, and four inside… the ones outside are keeping the Genjutsu active… it's collaborative…

Maki stuck her ear on the ground, and said, while taking her shoes off:

- The ones inside are coming out; and I think they're armed.

Naruto and Hinata glanced to each other and nodded. Both made the same hand sign, and twelve pairs of shadow clones appeared. Hinata spoke to her clones:

- You'll go in couples. You will be the eyes and the support, and you'll direct the Naruto-kun's clones so they can attack. If you get into trouble, attack too, but don't let yourselves be dispelled.

Hinata's voice was quite commanding, and the clones met in couples, disappearing in the Genjutsu. Naruto contacted Kyuubi:

- I still need to work a lot on my chakra control to sense chakra as you do, so I ask you to give me a little of your strength to help me detect them while the Genjutsu gets dispelled.

- Your actual chakra control could help you, Naruto, but even so, you're right. I shall help you a bit this time.

Both Naruto and Hinata, in the front of the group, felt how they were attacked from nowhere, as if the air was trying to hit them, and they could barely evade them. In that moment, Sakura and Shino fainted on the ground with some other **ghost** attacks. Kiba blocked attacks with a kunai, sensing the scent of steel close to him, and Akamaru started avoiding barely as well. Maki moved also, avoiding the attacks from her _invisible_ enemy. All of a sudden, Hinata felt something, and saw the ground:

- Naruto-kun! Guys! The floor!

Naruto, Kiba and Maki noticed that their enemies' shadows could be seen on the floor._ Now we can see where they are, at least_. Kiba and Akamaru fought with their Beast-Man Clone Taijutsu Style; now with a second lead about their enemy, their fight would be less complicated… **even when they knew it still wasn't enough**. The four standing guys kept evading their invisible attacks, until, all of a sudden, Naruto noticed how the house changed its shape, acquiring the form described in the property scroll:

- The house!

The combat continued on that way: the phantoms attacking and the young Chuunin defending from them. Maki was able to sense her enemy's presence and movements on the ground thanks to her Earth chakra control, sensing the vibrations on the ground like a snake or a lizard while focusing on a close radius from her. She said:

- It seems they fight with short weapons, watch out.

Kiba said, smelling:

- I can detect their scents, and not only their blades' ones!

Kiba and Maki had already some more advantage, but they still had the odds against them. Naruto and Hinata realized that there were silhouettes over the shadows, and started to fight with some more confidence, even when they tried to maintain their distances, because those were only blurred stains of chakra, with no defined shape. Maki received a couple of hits and fell on the ground, not perceiving her enemy on the ground anymore._ That bastard jumped! Dammit!_ All of a sudden, she saw herself surrounded by an insect cloud that protected her from three shuriken thrown at her. The insects gave her the three throwing stars, and she noticed they were poisoned. Shino appeared right beside her, inside the insect dome. He said:

- We must search for the blurry attacker. You search for ground, I'll search for air.

- Got it, Shino.

Sino released some insects in all directions, not compromising the full defense.

Kiba and Akamaru didn't stop surrounding Sakura, who couldn't move on the ground. She tried to do her Medical Ninjutsu on herself, but she felt how her chakra circulatory system got contaminated, and she screamed in pain. _Damn! I cannot use my chakra! And surely this poison will enter my organs!_ The Dog Ninja and his ninja dog were capable of defending themselves more proficiently, as they could detect their enemy's intentions through his scent and location.

Hinata noticed defined silhouettes, finally, and then noticed that her enemy, and Naruto's one, both were using short Kodachi swords. She warned the rest and Naruto replied:

- Well! Let's see what they've got!

The combat was leveled, finally. They could already defend themselves **and** attack more freely. Maki and Shino, after finding their enemy, they focused on capturing him and finishing him. Maki solidified the land around her and turned it into rock spikes, that she threw to the enemy as if the rocks were kunai, while Shino threw his insects to try and get his back. The enemy was quite agile, and evaded the attacks, but they noticed how that constant evasion took its toll on him.

Kiba and Akamaru had started to attack, and even they started to evade with more easiness than before. Then, surprising everyone, he found the way to bite his finger and arm some hand seals, hitting the ground with his hand and summoning a group of five war wolves, more or less sized as Akamaru… or bigger. The leader between them said:

- Hmmm, enemy with advantage, am I right?

- Be sure of that, lord Kairou, friends! – Kiba grinned evilly: - We need the Fighting Style of the Pack here!

The gray wolf called as Kairou replied, gritting its teeth:

- Very well. Form up!

The five wolves, Kiba and Akamaru joined an attack formation, surrounding the enemy's silhouette and growling at him as hungry wolves. The enemy, obviously startled, aimed his sword to the ninja teenager.

Hinata hit her enemy with her Gentle Fist, cutting his chakra with each landed hit, and Naruto, having a better guidance, started fighting with his Air Fighting Style. Hinata gave a final hit on her enemy, paralyzing all of the organs in his torso, and he fell down. Naruto, with his slashing kicks, chopped his enemy's forearms up, and then sliced his neck open, with quick, circular movements that didn't need to impact fully to do great damage.

In the end, the Genjutsu disappeared completely. Kiba, Akamaru and the Five Wolves had attacked their enemy with their new Taijutsu style, attacking as a wolf pack, with claws, fangs and tackles, and the enemy had fallen. Shino's bugs had imprisoned his enemy, and Maki killed her with her kunai-like rock spikes, piercing her enemy's aorta and femoral arteries. As the Genjutsu dispelled, they all got surprised. Both the four dead shinobi in front of them and the twelve that lied dead on the ground around the house had their headbands with the symbol of the Hidden Leaf. Shino said:

- Hidden Leaf ninjas… quite far from the village, and the Fire Country's frontiers…

- This smells bad. – Kiba's reply was serious: - Is this the house, Naruto?

Naruto saw it was some sort of big, two-storied house, having lots of rooms in it. Naruto remembered the scroll said that there lived five families in that house, not including her own one. He said, looking at the surviving clones:

- This is the place. We still need to check out if there's any kind of traps, and deactivate it. We don't want the house to be demolished now.

Both Naruto's and Hinata's clones started to search, as Kiba noticed how Sakura's skin paled. Scared, he started checking her vital signs, her pupils, and then he smelled her sweat. Terrified to the scent he caught, he said to Shino, worried:

- Shino! Sakura was poisoned!

- I know. I'm working on it. I just hope it's not too late.

Shino covered Sakura in an insect swarm, and meanwhile, a clone Hinata shouted:

- Ready! You can come in!

The shadow clones vanished, so as Kiba's summoned wolves, and Naruto got close, trying the floor in the entry and trying the door. He opened it, and nothing happened after that. Hinata, still with her Byakugan active, got close to him and checked the inside. She said:

- T-there are no traps anymore! B-bring Sakura in!

Kiba, Shino and Maki carried the insect-covered Sakura inside the house. Naruto and Hinata had no chance to see the house in detail, as they started putting all their attention on Sakura's treatment. Once Shino talked to his insects, and realized that the poison was removed from her body, he drew his insects back into his jacket. Sakura had lost much of her color, and Kiba was very worried, holding her hand with strength, and seeing that she couldn't even squeeze it. Shino said:

- All of her peripheric nervous system was affected. She has lost much of her mobility and strength.

Kiba and Akamaru couldn't just believe what they heard, and Sakura shed a tear, depressed. Naruto screamed:

- Hinata-chan and I will search for a medic in town!

- Sure, Naruto-kun!

Naruto and Hinata stepped outside the house, creating twenty shadow clones. They all scattered through town, in search for a medic, while the originals prepared hot water to warm up the cold body of Sakura, which was growing colder steadily.

The race through the village was seen by the villagers as simply weird, and they even thought that it was either funny or troublesome. Finally, a couple of clones arrived to the house of the medic, and knocked the door desperately. The door cracked open, revealing an elderly woman:

- Good morning, kids, what can I help you with?

- We're in a great hurry! Our friend was poisoned and she cannot move her body anymore!

The elder woman frowned and said, opening the door:

- Hmmm, tell me everything about it. Come in.

The clones related the battle to the elder woman, and she replied, worried:

- Ninja poisons… I'm afraid I cannot do much for her. Even when the poison is not in her system anymore, it has already made the main damage… and perhaps it was triggered by something she did after receiving the poison. Take me to the place.

Both clones saw the woman take her stuff and guided her, running. They were surprised to see that she could catch up on their pace. As they arrived to the Uzumaki house, the elder woman understood some things. They stepped inside, and the elder woman checked Sakura thoroughly. As the clones vanished behind her, the elder said:

- She is… Lady Tsunade Senju's disciple…

- What's going on? – Kiba was nervous and upset, not even noticing how his voice tone got loud and aggressive towards the elder medic. She said:

- So, someone else was attacked with this poison?

Shino replied:

- I was, but my bugs could draw it out of my system right after I received it.

The elder replied:

- This same poison was used to kill Tsunade Senju. It's a very powerful poison that attacks the chakra circulatory system, and it's quite effective against the Medic Ninjas. First, it taints the user's heart, his blood and his chakra. Second, it renders the whole torso, arms and legs useless, cutting all mobility from it. Then, it attacks the other internal organs, causing a slow death as it reaches the brain. Paradoxically, it reacts with higher strength when using chakra, even more if you use your chakra as a Medic Ninja, drawing it into your own body as tainted as it becomes.

- My insects extracted all the poison, ma'am.

- I know, she has no traces of the poison in her body at all. She could start getting recovered if any other Medic Ninja can treat her. I don't have that ability, but I can make her recover the mobility and her organs. She will be able to feed and talk for tomorrow, and with true rest, she can move freely in a week. But she will not be able to use her chakra, or force herself into high workout, as her blood and chakra are still tainted, and as her spine is also a little damaged.

The medic drew a flask and made Sakura drink its content slowly. It looked like honey, but its smell made Kiba frown. Sakura recovered her color steadily, and squeezed Kiba's hand. She felt her insides very damaged, and she realized she couldn't use her chakra, feeling the taint on her heart. The elder woman said, caressing her cheek and smiling gently:

- Don't worry, my dear. When a Medic Ninja comes here, I'll come with him, or her, to assist you. For now, get some rest.

Sakura, even when she felt that she could move very slowly, got completely broken, and Kiba hugged her tenderly. _I'm the useless in the group __**again**__… Can it be? Is this my fate?_ The elder whispered to her:

- You will be okay… you've got some friends coming your way, and they can assist you…

The elder smiled gently to Sakura, but then glanced at her, realizing that she could tell no more to her. She said, before leaving the house:

- And, by the way, my name is Ichiko. I hope to see you soon, kids.

Ichiko left, not even asking the kids to pay her for her assistance. Sakura burst out in tears, even after feeling the safety on Ichiko's serene and gentle voice, and Kiba didn't let her go from his hug. Maki, watching the scene, got close to Shino:

- Hey… are you all right?

- Yes… thank you… and you?

- I'm fine…

Naruto and Hinata, after a while, checked the house, and saw that there were six large rooms between the two floors, the kitchen, some bathrooms and a large backyard. The whole house was simple but spacious. The furniture wasn't pretty, but was functional and comfortable. Hinata hugged Naruto and said:

- Well… we finally arrived, Naruto-kun…

- Yes, we did, Hinata-chan, we made it…

Naruto sounded relieved, and Hinata became happier when seeing him like that. They kissed each other's lips softly, blushed, and held hands. He said:

- Now we have to find a job and train harder, Hinata-chan.

- S-sure! Let's make plans for our r-restaurant, N-Naruto-kun!

- That's what I like to hear! Let's do this!

Both smiled happily, and recognized their own smiles as genuine. Kyuubi felt in peace, and surrounded the couple with her maternal chakra.

End of Chapter 13.

Notes: the name of the Leader of Kiba's Wolves was "Kairou" (I thought of it as "kai": 灰 = ash (commonly spelled as "hai"), and "rou": 狼 = wolf, (commonly spelled as "ookami"), something like "wolf of ashes"). The name of the elder medic of the village was Ichiko: 市子 = sorceress. Hope you enjoy it, and soon another chapter!


	14. Chapter 14: A Quieter Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, so don't insist! ****I cannot force Kishimoto-san to do a NaruHina pairing, even when I actually want it to happen!**

Chapter 14: A Quieter Life.

A month had passed since the group arrived to the Fish Village. The villagers were quite receptive with the three couples, and they've earned a really endearing peaceful life.

Maki and Shino worked as personal bodyguards of the village's mayor; as long as there was no danger, they used to guard on the day shift, flanking both sides of the mayor's office, impeding anyone from sneaking into it. Only a couple of times were the couple's skills really employed in this month, as a couple of assassins hired by unknown people tried to slay the mayor. Other than that, they usually helped the mayor and his secretary with their paperwork.

Kiba and Akamaru worked as dog trainers, and also as special guests in the local theater. Their pay was enough to pay their bills and save something, just like the others' ones, but at least they had a lot more fun than Maki and Shino at work. Both kept practicing their combat skills, and used them for the theater pieces, always playing the roles of warriors and beasts. They also earned several friends while training their dogs.

Naruto and Hinata, after much effort, could create their Restaurant of the Dragon and the Toad, and were working daily. They could buy a bankrupt-declared restaurant with their savings and a bond, and they've been able to cancel the bond, after a great success on their first two weeks. Now they were working on their small restaurant, Hinata taking care of the main dishes and meals, and Naruto taking care of the entries and desserts. They used Shadow Clones as waiters and waitresses, and that guaranteed them more money in the end of the day. After work, they trained hardly and got to bed, very relaxed and happy.

Sakura could also get a good job. Slowly she recovered her physical condition, and started working, with all the knowledge she had from her training with Tsunade the Slug Sannin, as a regular nurse in the village's hospital. She still couldn't use her chakra, but she could do some soft Taijutsu training with Kiba and Akamaru, for not losing her shape. She was seen constantly walking around the village, searching for a medic ninja with great hopes, or at least, someone who knew a bit about Medical Ninjutsu, but up to now she found nothing.

Shino liked to read books when there was nothing else to do, either at work or with Maki, and that made him be seen usually in the village's library. He enjoyed a lot the peaceful, natural environments, so he drew books out of the library and read them, sometimes in the docks, watching the seas, or in the close woods. During one of his visits to the library, he noticed there were Ninjas checking the place. As he found out, he realized that the Hidden Leaf was still searching for them. Shino returned to the Uzumaki house, and waited for everyone else to arrive. As he gathered them all, he said:

- I've got some disturbing information.

Sakura said:

- Well, share it then, Shino.

- There are Leaf Ninjas in the village. It's probable that they might come to us.

Hinata, upset and nervous, asked:

- A-are they still a-after us?

- Yes, Hinata. – Shino's cool answer had a small tone of frustration, something Kiba and Hinata noticed. Naruto started thinking:

- Hmmm… is there any way to replicate this Genjutsu that the _former owners_ were using?

Maki replied, sadly:

- The only ones who knew about it are dead now.

Naruto ran to a cabinet, where he and Hinata kept some books, and he started checking one that Hinata recognized immediately. She rushed to his side and whispered:

- …so that was it…

- …sure, Hinata-chan, we can do this…

- …okay, Naruto-kun, let's… let's tell them…

Naruto and Hinata walked to the confused group that stared at them. Hinata explained:

- Naruto-kun and I can r-replicate that Genjutsu, using something we've prepared t-together…

The group glanced to themselves, still a bit confused. _Did she say Naruto could use Genjutsu? What the hell is going on?_ Naruto replied then:

- Hinata-chan and I prepared a Collaborative Elemental Genjutsu.

Sakura got surprised when she heard those words:

- But… you two… really??

Both nodded with the head, and the rest of the group got even more confused by the words. Sakura explained:

- The Genjutsu techniques are designed to catch the mind through stimulating some of the senses; it can be established with physical contact, eye contact, sounds, scents and even flavors.

Maki said, excited:

- That's what we've been told in the Academy! Get to the point, please!

- You have to send a stimulus to the mind to release yourself from a Genjutsu, like, for example, physical pain. Now, there's a type of Genjutsu quite unknown; even between the Jounin ranks it's barely known. That's the Elemental Genjutsu.

Kiba asked:

- What can be so special about it? Isn't it just another illusion?

Sakura continued:

- Well, the Elemental Genjutsu uses the influence of the element to induce the illusion in the victim, not only in the mind and senses, but also in the body. When the victim contacts the element of the Genjutsu, falls directly into it, and cannot get released from it with just a stimulus.

Shino, with a hand under his chin, said:

- I get it… that kind of Genjutsu is quite dangerous.

Maki asked him:

- I don't get it still, Shino, why is it so dangerous?

- An Air Elemental Genjutsu specialist could make his enemy fall on his Genjutsu just by throwing him a small breeze; a Water Elemental Genjutsu one could do it by throwing him a small drop of water, and so on.

Maki was amazed, finally understanding. Sakura said:

- The one who wishes to get released from an Elemental Genjutsu _must_ know how to manipulate the Elemental chakra that can defy the element of the Genjutsu user; only after that, with your body free, you can attempt the stimulus to release your mind.

Kiba, while seeing Hinata and Naruto, claimed:

- That's why, only a highly skilled Jounin could get released from this Genjutsu that Naruto and Hinata will do! You two are really scary!

Hinata blushed and rolled her eyes, playing with her index fingers the same way she did when getting nervous during her childhood. Naruto laughed nervously, rubbing his spiky hair with his left hand. Maki, happy, said:

- Now, we must replicate everything that was related to the Genjutsu applied by the former residents.

Hinata said:

- Naruto-kun and I remember it, right?

- Sure, Hinata-chan. Replicating it won't be that hard. We shall handle the Genjutsu, and you will be the _former owners_.

Kiba claimed again:

- Wow, it seems your Chuunin rank was earned with blood and sweat, Naruto!

Naruto laughed soundly, and Hinata said, grinning and frowning:

- Never underestimate us, Kiba!

The group laughed to Kiba's surprised face, and then they got prepared. That night wouldn't be easy at all.

Deep in the night, a couple of hours after the midnight, a group of four ninjas, dressed with black tunics, arrived to the terrains of the Uzumaki house. The location was covered by a deep fog; it even covered the surrounding trees. One of them made a series of hand seals and slammed his fist on the ground, turning the earth under the house into mud, but it turned into solid ground at the next second. The earth-user ninja's face turned confused, and checked on one of his partners. This guy, with his lavender eyes, suddenly had his eyes surrounded by thick veins. He said, checking the place:

- Twelve outside and four inside… the numbers match, but this is not the Genjutsu our agents were using, so these must be the renegades. Let's get in at once and kill those brats.

The Hyuuga, relaxed, led the group closer and closer to the mist, surrounding it first, in search for a weak point. He could see the twelve ninjas through the mist, each one with a different hand seal and placed in a circle around the house, with the hand seals located in the circle according to the Chinese Zodiac order, anti-clockwise direction: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Hare, Dragon, Serpent, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Boar. He grabbed some shuriken, still grinning, and told his teammates to throw shuriken to the points he'd indicate them. The throwing stars were tossed, disappearing in the mist, and then they saw how they clashed against rocks and fall to the ground. The Hyuuga saw no rocks in the direction the stars were thrown, and, all of a sudden, he froze completely, surprising his platoon:

- I-it can't be! I-IT CAN'T BE!

- What the hell is wrong, Shinsei Hyuuga?! Goddamn it!

- Speak at once, Hyuuga!

- W-we're inside the Genjutsu already…

- WHAT??!! – The voice of his teammates was quite surprised. One of them replied:

- Let's dispel it at once!

One of the four ninjas tried to get released from the Genjutsu in the normal way, but he achieved nothing. In that moment, he felt how the fog couldn't let him breathe, how it got inside his eyes; then he felt his eyes expanding and popping out of his face, and also felt the mist freeze his lungs, his heart and his blood. He fell to the ground, dead. The other three tried to run away in different directions, with less luck.

The first one tripped down and started falling down, noticing how, all of a sudden, the mist turned into ice, and, as he fell, he broke his neck and skull.

Another one found the mist echoing a gloomy and scary sound, like voices of dead souls, and felt how the mist devoured his chakra, leaving him totally dry, and dead.

The last one could barely step forward once, because the mist started tearing his muscles mercilessly and revolve around him at high speed. Then he felt a tackle, falling down as his body was tore apart. His scream was bone-chilling, and it became gloomier as he was being torn apart by the fog. After this, the mist turned calm again.

The next morning, the group evaluated the corpses, with Sakura and Hinata leading the investigation. After taking the relevant data, they burned the bodies in a foul pyre outside the village. Once there was no evidence left about the platoon's deaths, the group went back home, commenting what happened while they had breakfast. Naruto spoke first:

- I got terribly scared when I saw one of them was an Earth-style user!

- M-me too, Naruto-kun! – Hinata held his hand, sharing his worries. Naruto said then, grinning like a fox:

- Luckily, there were no Fire-style users! With that, we could have been screwed up!

- Y-yes! T-thanks for the help, g-guys!

Sakura said, proud of herself:

- I still can't handle chakra, but I could manage to make a good poison. That Hyuuga was about to screw up big time.

Maki said:

- I also had to be on guard. I never expected them to try and sink the house in mud with such determination. I had to be quite careful with my Earth-style.

Shino replied:

- Certainly, it seemed that those ninjas couldn't be high-ranked Jounin. A Jounin wouldn't underestimate his enemies so easily.

Kiba replied, teasing:

- I wonder what those guys were seeing when they started receiving our attacks.

Naruto, also teasing, replied:

- If you want to know, then find out on your own.

They all laughed as they ended their breakfast. It was time to go to work, and this next night they needed to sleep soundly.

End of Chapter 14.

Notes: I know, it's a small chapter, but I'm glad I finally made it up to this point. Now the interesting things will start. See you on a next episode, and don't forget to review, please!


	15. Chapter 15: Reencounter

**Disclaimer: Once more, I'm not Earning Money with Naruto, as I don't own ****it… or the other characters…**

Chapter 15: Re-encounter.

Four more weeks passed. The missing-nin group who moved to the Fish Village was still living this new life quietly. Even they all changed their own clothes; clothes still suitable for a shinobi, but quite lighter and just a little more stylish. The winter arrived fiercely six days ago, and Naruto ran, covered with a heavy brown coat, to the restaurant. He seemed to be hiding something under his cooking uniform. Before entering, he checked on an old man who saw his restaurant from outside, with hatred in his eyes. _That old man's stalking again… can't he just see that we've done better with his own restaurant than him? Man, he gives me the creeps!_

He entered the restaurant, seeing Hinata already working on the kitchen. He kissed her cheek quickly and started to work, getting rid of the large coat. He saw that he had several dessert orders, so he just focused on the work. Hinata watched him, a little hopeless. _What would have taken him so long?_

Several hours later, close to the dusk hour, the ordering rate diminished considerably, and they could take a break. Naruto whispered to Hinata's ear:

- Hinata-chan… come here…

Hinata turned to him and got close, noticing how he blushed. Then, she finally snapped, remembering the actual date. _My birthday!_ Naruto, getting rid of his white sweater and his apron, started checking his pockets, playing nervous. Hinata detailed his new clothes. His jacket had black sleeves, the shoulders and the upper part of his chest also black, and the rest of it was dark orange. The black and orange sections were divided horizontally by a couple of really thin indigo and red straps, giving the effect of the two colors melting in his chest. His pants were dark orange, and a couple of large vertical black straps were placed in the legs' external sides, with also really thin indigo and red straps to play the effect that happened on the jacket. His ninja boots were black, and he also wore a black headband with no Hidden Village symbols. Hinata couldn't avoid a small blush, after detailing her boyfriend so closely with her eyes. _He looks a lot better; I guess I chose his clothes well._

After a few seconds, and with a playfully nervous laughter, Naruto drew a jewelry box out of his pouch. He opened it towards her, and said:

- Happy birthday, Hinata-chan…

Hinata blushed furiously after seeing the delicate jewelry piece Naruto was offering her. She was so excited that her eyes turned glassy. It was a delicate silver necklace, which had a delicate silver medal, ellipse-shaped. In the center of it, there was a lavender-colored pearl with the shape of a heart, and the rest of the medal was covered in a deep blue sapphire. _It matches my eyes, and my hair… Naruto-kun…_ Then, she checked the medal backwards, and it had the symbol of the Hyuuga Clan surrounded by nine tails. Hinata let out a tear of joy and turned her back to him, pulling her hair to her front. Naruto put the necklace on Hinata's neck: it actually fitted her perfectly, so it wasn't dangerous to wear during battle. She turned to him, kissing his lips passionately, as she cried tears of joy. She whispered, after the first kiss:

- Naruto-kun… th-this is the f-first time… someone gives me a… a b-birthday present… t-thank you so much…

She buried a hand in his spiky hair, kissing him deeper and more passionately. They didn't even realize that they had spectators, but also they didn't care, as they closed the door that allowed outsiders to see inside the kitchen. A female voice replied, with high irony:

- Well, well, well, these two have become romantic lovers, huh?

The male voice that accompanied them said, also ironically:

- Romantic? Ha! How troublesome!

After a few seconds, they saw the kitchen door get open again. The couple was blushed, and they wore their kitchen uniforms no more, holding hands and very happy. Hinata revealed indigo pants that revealed her shape, and a light blue sweater with lavender and white sleeves that covered her hands. She wasn't wearing wide clothing anymore, and her attractive figure was quite more revealed with these clothes. She glanced at Naruto, after checking the couple with confusion and surprise, and he said:

- Shikamaru? Temari? What are you doing here?

Temari said, quite bored:

- We just wanted to make sure you were still alive…

Shikamaru continued:

- And we come to take you to the Hidden Sand Village…

Both Naruto and Hinata froze as they heard those words:

- B-but, why? – Their reaction was synchronized, what made Shikamaru and Temari look at them weirdly. The Nara teenager said:

- Danzou has finally labeled us, the Twelve of the Leaf, as S-class missing-nin, and he's searching for us to kill us, or turn us his **agents**. The Hidden Sand Village decided to act against this, and they shall shelter us for the upcoming war.

Naruto asked, shivering:

- W-war, you say? H-how is that, Shikamaru?

- We shall reunite them all and explain everything. – Temari's voice had such determination: - Kakashi, Guy, Shizune, Yamato and three of our Jounin surely have gathered the rest of the group. Take us to your home, and we shall gather there.

Naruto looked at Hinata, and she nodded. They wore their heavy coats and closed the restaurant, taking the money left in the cash box. They locked the restaurant's gate, still with the weird old man looking at it with envy and desire, and ran away to the Uzumaki house. As they arrived, they saw Kakashi speaking with Kiba and Akamaru. Shizune was in a couch, sweating as she was treating Sakura's heart wounds with her Medical Ninjutsu. Guy was beside a lavender-haired girl who wore a coat with lots of pockets, talking to Maki and Shino. They also saw a guy with a gas mask and a cream-colored hair guy who were focused, checking the windows. Yamato was joining the hall, helping Shizune, and Temari introduced the couple to the Sand Ninjas:

- This one is Kirimaru; his skills will allow us to erase our scents when we go back. That one on the other window is Dorou; he will erase our tracks on the land, and he's also a good Earth-style specialist. That girl beside Mighty Guy is Hagane; she's the Third Kazekage's granddaughter, and also our most fierce fighter.

Hagane laughed when hearing Temari's words, and both Naruto and Hinata just waved their hands to them, smirking. Yamato saw them, with some uneasiness, and said:

- We know that you've finally found that peace and quietness you needed badly, guys, but I can make sure that this would end up being a lie; the situation in the Hidden Leaf Village is turning very dangerous, and even more for us, the renegades.

- The _**renegades**_, you say??? – Naruto was completely shaken when he heard Captain Yamato say those words. Shizune, who was sweating heavily due to the great effort, finally took a breath and said:

- Okay, Sakura, try it again.

Sakura tried to use her Medical Ninjutsu skill and felt how her chakra flowed through her body, clean again. Sakura was just happy, and Shizune said:

- I guess if you rest well tonight, you can be fully recovered for tomorrow. That poison almost destroyed your chakra center.

- Apparently, that poison was the one that killed Master Tsunade, Shizune. – Sakura's voice was still a bit sad, as she remembered her master. Shizune replied:

- Yeas, I know. I left a bunch of still loyal Leaf Medic ninjas to work on an antidote. I just hope they have it ready, so they can send it to the Kazekage.

Hinata asked then:

- Okay then. C-could you explain this whole war thing?

Hagane took the word:

- The Sixth Hokage, Danzou, has taken all the heads of the Hidde Leaf's Clans, from the "strongest" to the "weakest" ones, and turned into simple ANBU Root agents. He had done the same with almost all the authority figures and the strongest Jounin that were careless enough to get caught and not run away, or that hadn't decided to join him willingly. Also, he has captured ninjas of other villages, and had _persuaded_ them to join ANBU Root's ranks. The Elder Advisors not only agreed with that, but they also assassinated the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju, framing some members of the Twelve of the Leaf with her murder. That forced their exile for survival. Two of them are here, actually: Shino Aburame and Shikamaru Nara. The third one, Neji Hyuuga, is still missing, but we know that he's not in the Hidden Leaf.

Maki, enraged, said:

- T-that bastard put the three seals to the Clans' heads… damn you, son of a-

Guy interrupted, with serious voice:

- We have to find Lee, Neji, Tenten, Sai, Chouji and Ino, before the ANBU Root agents, or the "normal" Leaf ninjas, find them. When we gather you all, we shall take you to the Hidden Sand Village. The Hidden Mist has allied to us and the Hidden Sand to combat the ever-growing threat, and we're still expecting for an answer from the Hidden Rock and the Hidden Cloud.

Naruto asked, worried:

- What about the Hidden Rain Village?! We must warn them!!

- Gaara has sent a diplomatic squadron there, and they've already argued this situation. Knowing that you are under the protection of the Sand Village has relieved them. – Kakashi's voice was quite amazed, something quite weird for Naruto to hear at all: - I still don't know how you did that, Naruto, but you have a whole Minor Hidden Village by your side. The Hidden Sand, the Hidden Mist and the Hidden Rain had established an alliance. Even so, we've discovered that Danzou himself is still preparing himself with certain alliances.

Dorou spoke:

- We know that Danzou and Kabuto Yakushi, actual leader of the Hidden Sound Village, are allies since he grasped public power. Also, we still need to take into account what are the Hidden Grass and Waterfall Villages going to do, and also we cannot forget abut Akatsuki. Since the capture of Killerbee, and the confirmed sealing of the Eight-Tails, there hasn't been word of them. Have they come for you already, Naruto?

Naruto shook his head 'no', and Shikamaru said:

- Anyways, it should be good for you to return to a Hidden Village. In here, not only you're not safe, but also you're too close to the Hidden Leaf, and the Hidden Mist won't be able to assist you if you get in danger. Else, the Twelve of the Leaf should keep together; that's our strength, after all.

Naruto replied:

- Then, we shall need a huge amount of search teams, just to try and find Sai.

- We know where he is. – Shikamaru's grin confused Naruto:

- What? How?

Temari replied, also smiling:

- When he learned that this stupid brat, Ino Yamanaka, ran away from the village, he found her, and they live together now. They're in one of the South Islands. We shall go get them as we get out of here.

- What about the rest? – Naruto was still surprised.

- We haven't tracked them yet, but we know they're safe… for now.

Shikamaru replied:

- I **strongly** suggest that you sell your restaurant and take that money with you. The same goes for the rest of you, guys. You should quit your actual jobs and come with us if you wish to live.

The group noticed the seriousness in Shikamaru's voice, and Kiba replied:

- If the situation is really that serious, and if also it requires of all of us, then count me and Akamaru in!

Naruto took Hinata's hand and said, after seeing her nod:

- Hinata and I shall join you.

Hinata nodded again, so as Sakura, Maki and Shino. Temari said then:

- Well then, it's time to search for someone who can buy that restaurant.

Shikamaru couldn't avoid a chuckle:

- Talking about that, this may sound troublesome, but that restaurant of yours was pretty nice.

Temari smiled at him, nodding, and said, watching the small blush on Naruto and Hinata:

- Let's go, Naruto, Hinata! Let's talk to the Mayor at once!

Both guys got ready and left with Temari, rushing to the Mayor's building. The rest of the group watched them run like desperate, and laughed. Sakura, wearing a short, dark red dress with long sleeves that covered her hands up to her fingertips, that covered her small vest and her dark and stretch shorts, said with a sigh:

- They'd worked so hard to keep that restaurant open, and now they're rushing to sell it!

Kiba, wearing a dark gray jacket with the hood folded in the back of his head, black, wide pants, and a sign-less black headband, teased Shikamaru:

- So, even the Sand People _liked_ the food that they make?

Shikamaru, also joking, replied:

- I guess that **even Madara Uchiha** would stop to eat there! Ha, ha!

The whole group laughed, and even Shino released a chuckle, encouraged by Maki.

On the road, Temari said:

- When we entered your restaurant, I saw some weird old man who watched it with resentment and envy. Perhaps you could sell it to him, and he could feel better.

Naruto said, grinning evilly:

- Okay, but the name is still ours!

- S-sure! We shall take _our_ restaurant to the hidden Sand! – Hinata's grin was also evil, surprising Temari. She said, smiling:

- I'm pretty sure you'll have success over there, kids! We should take the billboard, so you don't need to re-design it over there!

The trio smiled until they reached the Mayor's office. As they arrived, they saw the creepy old man Temari talked about. He was arguing angrily with the mayor. When the man noticed the arrival of the trio, he shivered and sweated a bit. Naruto and Hinata, glancing to each other's eyes, they nodded, and started tasting the terrorism of the scene.

The Mayor, just by looking at them, knew that they would start a big prank and, as he was already pissed off of the old man, who was the original owner of the abandoned restaurant Naruto and Hinata turned into one of the best in town, decided to have fun and start the prank himself:

- Finally, you arrived, kids! It's so good that _you received the message_! – The Mayor's voice had poison that turned the old man into a nervous wreck, but Naruto and Hinata caught the sign of the old man, starting their role in the prank. Naruto drew a kunai out of his pouch, while Hinata spoke, with a suddenly devilish face:

- Sure as hell, lord Mayor; we were really expecting this encounter…

The old man got scared half to death, totally nervous, because he was appealing to the Mayor to dump the kids off the restaurant they bought from him, cheating with the contract he made them sign, which he modified to scam the investors and make dirty money; and now he didn't know what to do, because now they knew it, and not only that, they were **ninjas**. The Mayor pointed at the old man and said, quite coldly:

- Mister Nampo here was telling me that you were getting the best of him, and now he claims _his_ restaurant to be returned to him, as it's the **rightful thing to do**. – The Mayor made sure to remark the specific words and sentences to "make Naruto and Hinata angry".

The growing fear of the old man Nampo was savored by the Mayor, even more when Hinata made a sign to Naruto. He nodded to her, and got close to him, testing the kunai's sharpness with his finger in front of the elder's eyes:

- So it's now **your** restaurant… ha! You sold us that crappy local as a mess… and it was _us_ who fixed it and made it worthy again.

The elder, scared as hell, watched Naruto play with his kunai close to his face, with great control, and changing the speed to make the effect more dramatic. Hinata got close to him, making an emotionless and ruthless glare, and said, with strong voice:

- It sounds to me that you want to get the best of us… but, you know one thing, mister…?

- N-Nampo! Doku Nampo!

- Nampo… we can be young, but we actually work really hard… and **we ****don't**_**tolerate**_ scammers like you… Do you remember what we did to the guy who tried to steal us that marvelous tailor's trade we had in the Moon Country, Naruto-kun?

Naruto replied, also coldly, and threateningly:

- Yes, Hinata-chan… The poor bastard begged us to kill him in the end… after those thirty-five minutes of torture he showed us he was made of pure lies and poison…

- And, what do you intend to do now, kids? – The Mayor's voice was evilly permissive with that question, and the old Doku Nanpo couldn't stop shaking in fear. Hinata answered, with threatening tone in her voice:

- We shall give him the worst punishment of them all… - Glancing to Naruto, she asked, grinning evilly, without losing the cold and evil glare: - How about an hour this time, Naruto-kun?

Naruto, also grinning evilly, replied:

- An hour should be good…

Hinata turned back to the Mayor:

- Yes, an hour… after that, we shall leave the town. Somehow, I think that no one will miss this scumbag…

Doku Nampo, totally desperate, screamed:

- Noo!! Please, no!! I've got a wife!! And three kids!!

The Mayor said:

- And five lovers, and a bunch of hired mercenaries, and several underground business…

The old Nampo gulped, trying to deny the Mayor's words, but Naruto got close to him with the kunai:

- Oh, so it's like that, huh? Well, let's do this…

Doku Nampo turned to see the Mayor, whose look said something like "I'm washing my hands out of this", then he turned to Temari, who was in the bottom, looking at him with bone-chilling eyes, and then turned to Naruto, as he started talking:

You sold us that **mess** for 35000 ryou, all broken apart. We repaired it, and that cost us almost 20000 ryou. Also, we bought new tables, chairs, furniture and the necessary stuff to cook there: 40000 ryou. We shall sell it back to you in 100000 ryou, already put to value, but the name "Restaurant of the Dragon and the Toad", so as the respective furniture and recipe list, we shall take all of that with us.

The man, terrified, feeling the cold kunai in his neck, answered:

- Okay!! Let me go get the money but **don't kill me, please**!!

Naruto and Hinata made a Shadow Clone each, and Hinata said, coldly:

- You have five minutes to bring us the money.

The old Doku Nampo ran out of the office, followed closely by the two shadow clones. As he got far enough, the whole group burst out in laughter. The mayor said:

- Ha, ha, ha, ha!! I've never laughed so much in my entire life!!

Temari usually got bored with this kind of pranks Naruto used to pull, but as she noticed that Hinata Hyuuga, the shyest and most gentle girl on the whole Leaf Village, joined this prank so eagerly, and acted so evilly, she couldn't stop laughing. Naruto said:

- I really loved that **Hyuuga glare** you gave him, Hinata-chan!

Hinata, also laughing like never in her whole life, replied:

- And the way you handled the kunai, Naruto-kun! I loved it too!

The mayor said, still laughing:

- That Nampo is a scammer! I hope this time he learns the lesson!

- There he comes! Get serious again! – Said one of the guards of the Mayor, who was also enjoying the prank secretly.

Doku Nampo ran with the two clones flanking him. He brought a small briefcase in his hand. Temari, who also decided to join the prank actively, took her huge fan and put it in front of her, blocking the entry to the office. Her cold glare was matched with a voice with killer intent:

- Show me the money.

Nampo, shaky, showed the briefcase full of money. Temari looked at it for a few seconds, scanning it as if she was about to burn them with her evil glare, and said, getting out of the way, but still holding the huge fan in aggressive stance:

- Hinata. Check that money.

The old man stepped inside the office, slowly, being then intercepted by Naruto and Hinata. She said, using the Hyuuga glare again, and commanding with killer intent:

- Count the money! If only one of these bills ends up being a fake one…!

Naruto turned his voice a little sadistic, remembering the voice he used when mixed with the incomplete Kyuubi:

- Come on, come on! Just one single fake bill! My kunai wants to taste scammer's blood tonight!

Nanpo, nervous as hell, dropped the briefcase, spilling the money on the ground. Naruto threatened to use the kunai, quite playfully, but the old man started counting the money in front of them. Hinata activated her Byakugan and checked the bills, while the Mayor shook his head to the old Nanpo. She said:

- The bills are legitimate, and it's the agreed amount.

Naruto, a bit disappointed, drew the kunai back to his pouch, and said, drawing out a scroll:

- Here you go.

After giving the old man the scroll, both he and Hinata made the usual hand sign, and they made four shadow clones each. They all glared at Nanpo fiercely, and the old man gulped soundly, thinking that his life was about to end in that moment. Naruto gave two scrolls to some of the clones and said:

- You know what to do now.

The old man got terrified, but then he saw the clones leave the room. Hinata's threatening voice said:

- You may leave now… - Turning more commanding, she replied: - Leave, and never dare to bother anyone else again!

Nanpo left in a hurry. Hinata and Naruto counted the money, grinning evilly as he left, and after he got far enough, they all burst out in laughter again. Temari was rolling on the floor laughing, and both Naruto and Hinata were content. The Mayor, completely relaxed now, said:

- So, you're leaving town already?

Naruto answered, smiling gently:

- Yes. We shall retain the property document of the Uzumaki house, because we actually think of coming back every once in a while. Thanks a lot for your hospitality.

- You'll always be welcome, kids. We all shall miss you.

Naruto and Hinata drew the bills in their pouches and left with Temari, happy. They could solve the issue that kept them tied to that town in a good way… or, better said, in a _hilarious _way. Hinata, talking to Naruto softly, said:

- Thank you so much, Naruto-kun… this has been the best birthday I've ever had in my entire life…

- I'm glad you liked it, Hinata-chan… I love you…

- I love you too, Naruto-kun…

After a small kiss on the run, they reached the house, meeting the shadow clones that returned with the sealed scrolls, and, as they were dispelled, they entered the house, ready to tell the tale to the rest of the group.

End of Chapter 15.

A/N: Couldn't avoid the prank! Hope you enjoy! Soon more action! Don't forget to review!


	16. Chapter 16: The Journey

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters. ****Get ready.**

Chapter 16: The Journey.

The next morning, the renegade ninja group got ready to leave. Sakura was almost at her full capacity, and the rest got up, ready to follow Shikamaru and Temari. Shikamaru read a scroll and, as he finished it, he said:

- Very well, this information will help us a lot. The Sand scouts have found our friends. So, our route will be this one; listen up.

The group gathered around him, and he said:

- The route will be as it follows. We shall head through the neutral countries to the south. In the Shrimp Island we will meet Chouji, from there we shall head towards the Island of Ice. There are Neji, Tenten, Lee and some girl who, as I've been informed, is some sort of Lee's student. Our third point will be the Twilight Island. Sai and Ino are hiding there, so we shall get to them, and then when the whole group is gathered, we shall head to the Hidden Sand.

Shino studied the route and said:

- Very well, this route shall take us, at least, three weeks.

Temari replied:

- Danzou's Hidden Leaf Ninjas will be trailing us. It's highly probable that he sends ninjas from the Leaf's Clans to search for you; obviously, he will send the ones already _converted_ to the ANBU Root. So, expect to find resistance.

Kakashi stated then:

- They will be behind us, so, if we get involved in a fight, you eight shall head to the Sand Village with Kirimaru, Dorou and Hagane.

Hagane got quite worried:

- No! No one leaves the group!

Yamato replied:

- We're just too many people to fight together if we get involved in any kind of ambush, even more if we get ambushed in a small place.

Kirimaru answered:

- But we cannot allow ourselves to lose the best medic and the greatest Taijutsu Master of the Hidden Leaf, the Son of the White Fang, also known as the Copy Ninja, or the last specialist of the Wood Style Ninjutsu, the one capable of controlling a Tailed Beast; those are direct orders from Lord Kazekage.

The ex-Leaf Jounin could do nothing else than simply nod. Kirimaru's logic was just undebatable. Shizune replied:

- Then we shall travel close from the southern coast. We cannot risk ourselves to be ambushed in the Fire Country's large forests. If we cannot allow ourselves the loss of any of us, then we need to travel safely.

Temari said then:

- We shall travel in three groups of five persons: Hagane, Hinata, Naruto, Shikamaru and me in the first group; Shino, Maki, Kakashi, Guy and Kirimaru in the second one, and Kiba, Sakura, Shizune, Yamato and Dorou in the last one. We shall travel separately, but in quick-support distance; and one on each squadron will have a wireless radio. The communication between groups will be held through these radios, so we shall keep the defaulted distance.

Shikamaru said:

- Kakashi, Yamato and I will take the radios. Get ready, we're leaving right now.

The group ended packing their stuff, and left the Fish Village, heading to the west.

The three groups traveled separated fifty meters from each other, one beside the other. Shikamaru's group traveled in the middle, Kakashi's group was closer to the coast and Yamato's group closer to the woods. The coasts over there were not sandy but rocky, but they knew that, as far as they got closer to the Wind Country, the rocks will be vanishing in favor of the sand. The trip to the Shrimp Island would take three days to be completed on foot. Naruto asked:

- Is there any particular detail we should know about this Shrimp Island, guys?

Temari replied him:

- It's a land of fishermen, Naruto. It's constantly watched by an army and it's surrounded by large walls. Apparently, the reason of the walls is that they've been receiving lots of smuggler attacks in the last years, and in a regular basis.

Shikamaru continued:

- It's highly probable that we have to sneak in as stowaways in a ship… or even as fishermen. Once inside, we shall find Chouji, and then convince him to join us.

Hinata asked, kind of curious:

- And, didn't Chouji have a… girlfriend?

- Yeah, but I don't really think she could've decided to leave her master in the Hidden Leaf for joining him… - Shikamaru's reply was doubtful, but he said: - But, who knows? Maybe they're together in that island.

Naruto asked again:

- Wasn't she this girl, the specialist in whip Taijutsu?

- Yes, it was her, Naruto. Asumi Kawamoto. – Shikamaru took the labor of answering questions about Chouji.

- She was Anko's personal student… how could she end up being together with someone so different to Anko as Chouji?

- Don't ask, Naruto, how boring…

As they were seeing how the rocky coast was slowly turning into a sand-and-rock coast, after six hours of continuous traveling, they decided to take a break for lunch and rest. Everything was too quiet, what made Kakashi feel quite uneasy. As the three groups gathered for having lunch, Yamato, Shikamaru, Temari and him got reunited to discuss, as they were also eating:

- This is too quiet. – Kakashi's voice sounded uneasy.

- Yeah… I don't like it one bit, Kakashi-sempai… - Yamato also felt disturbed.

- You found something, Kakashi? – Temari asked.

- Hmm, guess no… anyways, just to be sure; let me call Kiba and Akamaru. They surely know something else.

Yamato made a sign to Kiba, and both he and his large white dog joined the captains' meeting (if it could even be called like that). Sakura, watching him, was left alone with Guy and Kirimaru, and then she found herself not having anyone to talk to (as she didn't exactly enjoy talking to the one shinobi who turned Lee into a work-loving maniac). She felt a lot lonelier as she glanced to another camping, watching Naruto and Hinata eat together, very romantically. She raised a wall of indifference towards them, trying not to pay them any attention, but the pinky's inner feelings crushed her own wall to the ground. Seeing how Hinata kissed Naruto passionately, she felt really bad. _**You**__ were my second option, Naruto, not Kiba… even when I feel so good with him; I still can't believe that you've turned me to a side just like that… That hurt me a lot, Naruto, it cracked my heart…_ She turned to Kiba, watching the discussion he had with the Jounin, and sighed to avoid a tear from escaping her eyes. After a few minutes, as the whole group ate and rested well enough, Yamato acclaimed:

- We shall all travel through the coast! Let's head out!

The group nodded and packed everything again with celerity. As the signal was given, they all kept running to the west.

During the following hours, Maki felt worried. Shino saw her and asked:

- What's going on, Maki?

- It's **him**, Shino! He'd already seen us!

This alerted Yamato:

- What are you sensing, Maki?

- The earth shakes under the feet of some animals. Danzou is projecting his Sharingan _and_ his Byakugan together to watch us through the animals in the closest woods.

- Damn it! – Yamato talked through the radio: - Danzou has found us! We shall have company soon!

Naruto heard Kyuubi's voice:

- Watch your left, kid!

Naruto turned to his left and saw how a very particular character materialized itself from the sand:

- Akatsuki!

Hinata and Shikamaru turned to find the plant-man that was once nicknamed "Aloe Vera" by Naruto: Zetsu, the renegade from the Hidden Grass. Shikamaru also warned through the radio:

- Akatsuki had found us too! How troublesome!

Yamato warned:

- Watch out ahead!

The group stopped against a massive fireball. Hinata and Naruto armed hand seals quickly, and with quick body movements they summoned a large ice-wall that stood against the fireball, stopping it as the ice melted back to water, and Kakashi used the melted water to counterattack. The attacker applauded, and said, with a well-known and irritating dumbass-like voice:

- Wow! Too many people protecting the Nine-Tails! And they got me all soaked!

They all recognized the man dressed in the black tunic, also recognizing the red clouds in it, and the orange mask. Yamato replied immediately:

- Madara Uchiha!

- Come on, buddies! Why are you so upset?

- You know very well why! – Kakashi _was_ upset. Madara claimed:

- But I only came here to have a little chat with you all!

- We've got no time! We're in a hurry! – Kiba shouted.

- Come on! This is for your own convenience! Even more for the Jinchuuriki kid!

Hinata activated her Byakugan and stood in front of Naruto. As he saw how the whole group joined fighting stances, Madara said, looking around:

- Hmmm, I got it! Danzou is still chasing you! Well, let's talk in a private place! What do you say?

The group didn't even have enough time to complain, as Madara's mask created a vortex in its only uncovered eye. This vortex sucked the whole group in less than a couple of seconds. After that, Madara himself vanished the same way.

End of Chapter 16.

A/N: I know, short chapter, but I'm going to publish two in the same day, so don't complain and enjoy!


	17. Chapter 17: Madara's Little World

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, its characters or ****locations.**

Chapter 17: Madara's Little World.

The group appeared in a very strange place. Hinata had to deactivate her Byakugan as she arrived: the whole place irradiated Chakra, and this would turn her blind if she stayed watching it for more than a few seconds. Naruto held her delicately, drawing a bottle from his backpack and giving her some of his water. Shizune, noticing the reaction, asked:

- Hinata, is everything all right?

- Um, y-yes, Shizune… t-this whole place irradiates ch-chakra, that's all…

Naruto was surprised to hear Hinata's words. Kyuubi spoke then:

- I don't like this, Naruto. This place…

- What is this place, Kyuubi?

- This place is Madara Uchiha's inter-dimensional haven… as it doesn't belong to our dimension; the conditions ruling this place are quite unintelligible even for me. Else, as this place is completely filled with his chakra, he can come by here and heal his wounds, getting the best of his energy accumulated through the centuries to heal wounds that would last for a month to heal in just hours. Also, needless to say, this place is like some sort of **chakra bank** for him. This is one of the abilities of the infamous "Eternal Sharingan" from Madara Uchiha: the Dark Safe.

Naruto frowned, and Kyuubi said:

- Tell Kakashi and Yamato to not try anything stupid in here. The simple presence of his chakra in the whole damn place might just make him not even need to move a finger to get us killed effortlessly.

Naruto woke up, finding himself hugged by Hinata. He whispered sweetly:

- I was just talking to Kyuubi, Hinata-chan. No need to worry.

Hinata, also whispering, said:

- I know, Naruto-kun. What did she say to you?

- This is one of Madara Uchiha's techniques granted by the Eternal Sharingan he obtained after stealing his own brother's eyes… - Hinata frowned in disgust after hearing that: - Apparently, it's in a different plane from ours. I still don't know if he created it or if he just found it vacant and occupied it. The place is just completely filled with his own chakra.

- B-but, how?

- No one knows what else that cursed eye had granted that bastard… I must warn Kakashi and Yamato; they seem likely to attack Madara Uchiha when he shows up, and that could end only one way: a swift and certain death for us.

Naruto called Kakashi and Yamato with a hand sign, and explained them all. Yamato nodded and Kakashi asked:

- Damn, where is that Uchiha?

- Over here, children!!

The irritating dumbass voice, made on purpose to drive the group insane, revealed Madara Uchiha's position. Changing his voice, he said:

- I see you won't wear your headbands anymore, Hidden Leaf Ninjas. The Hidden Sand ones are still loyal, but not the others. What happened?

Naruto, a bit upset, couldn't stop himself from replying:

- As if you didn't know it already, Uchiha.

- No, young one, I don't know at all. I only know that the Advisors' Council of the Hidden Leaf named Danzou the Sixth Hokage, and that the Clans' Heads are no more than ANBU puppets for him. I don't know the facts that led to this whole mess. – Watching Kakashi, he asked: - Could you take some time to explain me what happened? Maybe I could **help** you…

Temari, also upset, asked:

- And why would you want to help us?

- Well, let's say we just share the same enemy… or, even better, _enemies_ in the Hidden Leaf… We could get rid of them all together, and after that we could continue our own battle. What do you say?

Shikamaru looked at Madara Uchiha and replied:

- There's no way that we could create an alliance **and** obtain what each one of the parts wants from it.

Madara was surprised with Shikamaru's sharp-edged statement, and said, feeling scanned by his eye:

- As some of you must know already, Danzou is not probably on the best physical condition, but he possesses the Sharingan and the Byakugan… And not because of him controlling the Clan Hyuuga: he actually _stole a Byakugan_. His eyes are a lot more powerful than mine, when combining both Doujutsu, and sooner or later we all will turn out to be victims of his ambitions. **Even me**…

- But you will take Naruto-kun's life to do exactly the same thing! – Hinata's voice was totally enraged. Madara replied:

- Actually, I don't need him now. The Nine-Tails is complete in his body, and I cannot use it anymore.

Many people in the group got surprised, even Kakashi himself. Kyuubi spoke, totally enraged inside Naruto:

- That's bullshit, kid! Watch your steps! He still can control me and tear my energy in two again with his Eternal Sharingan!

Naruto, noticing Kyuubi's great concern, asked:

- How can I trust that?

Madara, watching Naruto's expression, and Kyuubi's enraged eyes through his, replied:

- I would need to seal the eight Tailed Beasts I already have into my body to try and use my Sharingan for breaking your seal. And, once I've got that seal in my body, with eight Tailed Beasts inside my body, I will surely end up killing myself. So, you're safe from me.

- And what about Sasuke? He's still under your command, and he has the capability of earning your powers! – Shikamaru's voice echoed deeply in that place.

_Goddamn it! That Nara kid is too quick and clever!_ Madara replied, trying to find an exit:

- Sasuke's with me only because I promised him his revenge on the Leaf Elders. He only wants to kill Danzou and the two Elders of the Hidden Leaf: Homura and Koharu. After that, he won't be bound to me anymore.

Sakura watched Madara with concern, and Kiba noticed the nostalgia in her expression. _Guess I won't be more than Sasuke's shadow for her. Now I understand Naruto a little…_ Sakura took Kiba's hand and said:

- If you want our help with Danzou… and if you _really_ need that help you say you need, you will have to quit to your pretensions for a while, at least.

Kba noticed how she drew strength from his silent support. Yamato spoke:

- If you've got nothing else to say, we must head to the Shrimp Island urgently.

Madara Uchiha recognized his defeat in the battle of words with a sigh, and said, resigned:

- Hell… you're right… I still have my eye caught on the Nine-Tails; even when it's still completed, I can tear it into two large energy masses and use it at my own will…

Kakashi asked:

- How is it that the Nine-Tails is completed?

- Ask the Jinchuuriki. - Madara used, once more, his repulsive dumbass voice.

Naruto, once again feeling the eyes of everyone aiming at him, said:

- I sealed the Yin energy of the Nine-Tails not long ago inside me… now she asks me not to trust him at all…

Shizune, understanding, replied to the Uchiha:

- Then you'll have to quit having Naruto at all if you want our cooperation.

One by one, the members of the group supported Naruto, and Madara laughed soundly. He said:

- We used to feel respect for you before, Naruto, as you could manage to earn the "respect" of a Great Hidden Village, but now I'm scared of you, as you're counting with the **real support** of these ninjas. Even when you still won't be able to even scratch me without my consent, the fact of knowing that you can turn powerful ninjas to your side so easily makes you a wonderful being. You could be a great leader in Akatsuki, and help me reach my final goal of world peace.

Naruto replied bluntly:

- I don't like your methods or your behavior. And also I don't believe in that _zombie-world_ peace you propose.

Madara burst in laughter when hearing Naruto. He said:

- Even you could make that my two best warriors turned to your side! I really envy you, kid. A personality like yours would have been really useful to me. A shame that I've got to kill-

- Let him go!

Madara noticed a familiar katana blade on his neck, and the group got surprised to see the owner of that voice:

- He can help me fulfill my revenge! You should let him go if you hold life dear.

- Hey! Easy, Sasuke! - Madara was using again the irritating voice. Sasuke replied immediately and fiercely:

- Easy my ass! You can be immortal and whatever you fancy yourself to be, but you know quite well that I can kill you! And if Naruto Uzumaki receives the least physical, psychological or spiritual damage from you, I won't let you live to tell it to anybody!

Matara swallowed hard as he felt Sasuke's sword edge touch his skin. The group saw the scene, trying to figure out if it was fake or not. Sakura saw Sasuke nostalgically, even when, just like before, he didn't even notice her presence at all. Maki saw the young Uchiha with fear, and got quite shocked to hear his voice:

- We shall take you to the Shrimp Island. Gather whoever you've got to gather. You've got three weeks. We shall meet again in the Hidden Sand Village, as I already know you're going to lay low over there.

Madara was forced to teleport the group to the indicated location: the Shrimp Island. The Uchiha immortal turned to Sasuke and said:

- You're starting to surpass the limits of my trust, kid…

- Shut up if you don't want in into my vendetta list.

_Sasuke's not only getting stronger, but also more and more ruthless every day. He's truly the one with the balls to reform and lead the Uchiha Clan._ He said:

- Fine then, we shall do it your way, Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke vanished, leaving Madara Uchiha alone on his shelter dimension.

End of Chapter 17.

A/N: This special plane appears during the Five Kages' meeting in the Manga (warning, spoilers!!); I just decided to explain it as I did, as Kishimoto-sama still hasn't explained what it is at all. Two chapters in a day, so enjoy!


	18. Chapter 18: The Leaf Moves

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters… **

**Thanks for the reviews so far; knowing that at least two or three people actually wait for this story to keep growing and reach for an eventual end motivates me to keep working on this. Keep reviewing, please!**

Chapter 18: The Leaf Moves.

Danzou was desperate at the Hokage's office. The amount of poison he received into his chakra circulatory system almost two months ago (_the same day that those Leaf Jounin bastards had taken the chance to betray me and steal from me_, he thought) had already taken its toll on the Sixth Hokage, messing up with his body functions: his heart's work capacity was reduced in 25%, his right arm lost mobility and his left leg lost strength. Even when he keeps calling for more and more Medical Ninjas to deal with his situation, the collateral effects of his own poisonous blood were too dangerous.

There was a person sitting in a chair, staring at the Hokage with a curious look. He wore eyeglasses, his gray hair was tied up in a ponytail, he wore shield gloves that covered his whole forearm, and he wore mostly dark purple. The headband he wore in his forehead displayed the symbol of the Hidden Sound Village. He decided to speak, and he mocked the Hokage:

- What's wrong, old hag? Shouldn't you be quite content, now that you're finally Hokage **and** leader of the ANBU Black Ops forces?

- Shut the hell up, Kabuto. _You_ should be healing me right now.

Kabuto burst out in laughter as he never did before in his life:

- Damn, how naïve! And how do you intend to avoid me from killing you right here, right now, rather than healing you?

In that moment, Danzou pulled the bandages off his right eye and revealed something that shocked Kabuto, who barely replied in fear:

- No! It can't be!

Danzou, savoring his terrorism, asked again, with venom in his words:

- Now, will you heal me or not?

Kabuto nodded nervously and got close to Danzou, starting to work hardly. His Medical Ninjutsu was the best of the world, as Tsunade Senju was dead, and now Danzou had found the way to call upon his services whenever he desired it most. Even so, Danzou checked the Sound leader with his Byakugan, finding out that he had two chakras inside his own body: the light blue one, as expected, and a weird white chakra that he could recognize. _Orochimaru_.

Kabuto was sweating, nervous, under the glare of that unknown Sharingan at Danzou's right eye, and decided not to try anything stupid. _I don't know how capable he is of using the Sharingan's dark techniques._ He worked first on the Hokage's leg, fixing it to match his right one. After a couple of minutes, he started with the right shoulder. Several minutes later, he started working on Danzou's heart. After five minutes of attempting to heal the Sixth's chest, Kabuto said, with worried face:

- There's nothing I can do for your heart. It's quite damaged, and any attempt of Medical Ninjutsu might occasion even worse damage. I have no idea what happened to you, but your damage is beyond repair.

Danzou was completely upset, but then he saw Kabuto faint, exhausted, and spoke to himself:

- I need a good personal medic here… I'll make him an offer he won't dare to refuse, as soon as he wakes up.

After standing up and picking Kabuto up from the floor, he saw how a Jounin arrived and said:

- Lord Hokage, the Elders require your presence.

Danzou checked on the Jounin and said:

- Tell them to come here. And bring two Jounin, so they can take our **special guest** to the hospital.

- Yes, sir.

The Jounin fell back, and right then two ninjas arrived to the office, carrying a fainted Kabuto out. After a couple minutes, the two Elders entered the Hokage's office. Danzou received them in bad mood:

- What do you want now, old bastards?

- We knew that you found the traitors. – Koharu spoke first.

- Give us all of the information you have on that, right now. – Homura commanded.

Danzou noticed the haste in the elders' voices and asked:

- Why are you so hasty to know about that? With me knowing that information is more than enough.

The two elders glanced to each other, showing clear contempt, and Koharu replied:

- You've got to keep us informed of everything, Danzou. After all, we're the Village's direct contact to the Fire Country's Feudal Lord, and he has requested a report on the traitors' search.

Danzou, who sat back on his desk, stood up in rage, hitting the desk with both fists, and yelling like mad:

- THE FEUDAL LORD DIDN'T HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THAT!!! WHEN DID YOU BASTARDS TELL HIM ABOUT IT?!?

The two elders jumped to defensive stances instinctively, and Homura replied:

- We never gave him that information! Someone is taking care of making a decadent public image of us!

Danzou hit the desk again fiercely, and, glancing to Homura, yelled again:

- I want you to find that informant now!! _It's your full responsibility_ if we go to war before time!!

Homura replied in the same tone:

- Shut the hell up, Danzou! We still can hire Akatsuki with the money of the Feudal Lord!

Danzou jumped over the desk, standing against Homura with killing intent:

- Madara Uchiha is with the traitors! We cannot count on Akatsuki at all!

Homura and Koharu were overwhelmed by his killer intent:

- B-but-!

- I **saw** Madara Uchiha act like an asshole against them and then take them whoever knows where!

Koharu replied:

- If he actually took them… and if he knows now what the hell has happened here… then that goddamn brat, Sasuke Uchiha, must be knowing all of this right now… We're in too many, too big problems, Danzou…

- Get the hell out of my sight and do what I commanded you. I will handle the business with this new Feudal Lord brat **by myself**. I want no more troubles over my shoulders; even less if they all aim at my neck fiercely.

The two elders were afraid to keep under the Sixth Hokage's enraged sight. _That's why, precisely, we did well in putting him as the Hokage. We've done a great work._

Meanwhile, in the Hidden Sand Village, Gaara checked a rather large amount of papers when he found a document that attracted his attention. It was a letter signed with the seal of the Fire Country's Feudal Lord:

- "To: Gaara of the Desert: Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village. I'd like to meet you personally and discuss some very important business. I'll be heading out towards your village in a hidden convoy; I don't want anyone in the Hidden Leaf to know a thing about my attempts to seek your assistance. I'll arrive in a week. Yours truly; Toshihiro Shukka, Fire Country's Feudal Lord."

_Hmm, that's weird. Could it be that…?_ Gaara put the card aside, breathing deeply as Kankurou asked him:

- Gaara, brother, what's wrong?

- The Fire Country's Feudal Lord wants to interview me personally, Kankurou. He wants to "discuss some important business", apparently, out of the Hidden Leaf's sight.

Kankurou took the letter handed from Gaara and said:

- Are you sure it's not a trap? Or a codified message of sorts?

- I've never seen the Fire Feudal Lord before, so I cannot say if it's a trap or not. Anyway, I want you to take this letter to Intelligence.

- Immediately, brother.

Kankurou was withdrawing from the office when Gaara said:

- And, when you get back here, should it be too much of a problem if I let you in charge of the office for a while? I need some fresh air.

Kankurou smiled gently to his younger brother:

- Of course. You need to rest too. I'll be coming in a while.

Gaara sighed as his brother left the office. He needed to do many things, and needed time to get them all done. On the other side, he quite felt lonely, even more now that _he was the Kazekage_. In that moment, a young Chuunin showed up at the door:

- Lord Kazekage, a recently-arrived girl wants to see you.

Gaara didn't like how that sounded. _Someone arriving and asking directly for me… I must be on guard_. As he used his chakra to remove the seals from his sand barrels, he replied:

- Let it in.

Gaara got surprised to see the beautiful girl that entered her office. Her blushed face looked perfect; her yellowish-amber-colored eyes turned away from his gaze shyly; and his yellow-orange hair falling over her shoulders, with slight waves that attracted any man's sight towards it; her well-shaped body was dressed in a green, long-sleeved shirt and blue pants. Gaara recognized her all of a sudden, and got shocked, as he only could stutter her name:

- H-hima… Himawari…

The girl heard her name and jumped in joy, seeing who received her in the office:

- Gaara!!

Gaara glanced to her eyes and found himself in his childhood's memories. He saw in her a six-year-old girl who played with him several times during his childhood; the only child who dared to get close to him when every other kid would toss rocks at him or yell at him. That year was the best year he had remembered living, and he also remembered how that year ended sadly, when she told him that she had to abandon the village, with the promise of meeting him again. Then, he realized that his own father was to take the blame for her exile, and since that day he returned to become the evil demon that cared about nothing and nobody, as he actually lost her the same day he had lost his uncle Yashamaru. His heart crumbled to dust, and his overpowering hatred towards his father and his village forced him to sink those happy and relieving moments in the deepest of his mind.

But now he saw her in front of his eyes, quite turned into a beautiful teenager, and his merriest memories flourished with a rush of blood that made him blush, smile, and even _shed a tear_ of joy. He ran to her, as she did so, calling her as he reached her:

- Himawari!

Both teenagers melted in a tender hug. Gaara shed some more tears, and felt how his heart started beating **again**, speeding up as he felt the heat of Himawari's hug. She said:

- Gaara-kun! What are you doing here?

- I should be asking the same to you, Himawari…

- I-I came to visit the Kazekage.

- Well, say "hi" to him, as you're hugging him…

Himawari broke the hug slowly and saw Gaara's turquoise eyes, still blushed. She said:

- But… What happened to your father?

- He received his punishment, and the elders asked me to occupy his place, Himawari-chan… I've been looking for you all this time…

Himawari laid her head on Gaara's shoulder, and said:

- So, it was you… I wanted to see you so desperately, Gaara-kun… When I got word that Akatsuki had captured you, I almost gave up…

Gaara hugged her again; speaking softly, as he suddenly remembered that he could:

- But I'm here now… Want to go out and have lunch? I've got a couple of hours for lunch before work…

The blonde girl took his hand and replied:

- Of course I do! It's almost eleven year of histories that we still need to share, Gaara-kun!

- Let's go then, Himawari-chan…

Kankurou saw them leave the office together, speaking merrily. In the exact moment he stepped beside them, Himawari said:

- Don't get in, Kankurou. Spies from the Hidden Leaf come to take out the Kazekage.

Gaara noticed Himawari's concern, and checked on Kankurou:

- You know what to do.

Kankurou nodded, unfolding one of the scrolls he had in his back. After biting a finger and arming hand seals, he summoned a puppet that had no particular external features. With a hand seal, this puppet turned into an exact clone of Gaara. Kankurou manipulated it very carefully, making his chakra strings so thin that no one could see them without a special technique like a Sharingan or a Byakugan. The Gaara puppet entered the office with extremely natural movements, as Kankurou controlled it masterfully. Gaara asked:

- How did you know that, Himawari-chan?

Himawari turned her sight, sad and blushed:

- I didn't know you were the actual Kazekage, and I joined a group of people who wanted to kill the Kazekage. I thought your father was still in the position, so I joined them. But… - Himawari's face turned completely sad and ashamed: - But I didn't know you were the Kazekage, Gaara-kun… I really don't want to hurt you, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry, Gaara-kun!

Tears rolled from Himawari's eyes, and Gaara noticed that they were quite bitter. Also, he knew perfectly when someone lied to him, no matter how skilled that person was in the _so-called art_ of lying. But Himawari spoke with the truth. She got shocked when Gaara threw his arms around her in a protective gesture, and Kankurou, alert to everything, heard how his marionette was cracked by kunai thrown to its head and neck. Keeping the puppet as real as it was possible; he made it fall, as if it was actually a dead man. Suddenly, a voice claimed from inside the office:

- It's a goddamn puppet! Search the whole damn building! Gaara must be dead in the next ten minutes! And search for that backstabbing whore too! I want her to suffer a lot!

Gaara kicked the office's door open, with Kankurou and Himawari to his sides. The four-ninja squadron noticed the Kazekage and the lady, talking to her directly:

- So, you've decided to betray us, bastard girl… you'll pay for that…

The Leaf Ninja, so as his three partners inside the office, that Gaara's sand barrel was inside the office and not on his back, as always; nor they noticed that the open barrels of sand inside the office were filling the floor with sand smoothly. When the reckless group decided to attack, they found their feet and ankles imprisoned by sand. Gaara extended his open hands towards them and closed his fists slowly, cracking the ankles and feet of the Leaf Ninjas with terrible steadiness, as the sand that imprisoned their feet compressed itself at Gaara's command. After the pain screams, Himawari armed hand seals and both her hands glowed with green chakra, the same way the Medic Ninjas did and, getting close to her enemies, asked, still with anger and tears in her eyes:

- Would you rather keep them alive or kill them, Gaara-kun?

- Alive. We've got to force a lot of information out of these ones, Himawari-chan.

Himawari grabbed the enemies by their necks, one by one, with her hands still glowing with green chakra; and that was enough to knock them unconscious. Kankurou ordered a group of Jounin to take the Leaf Ninjas to the Interrogation Department. Himawari took a deep breath, crying still:

- I'm so, so sorry, Gaara-kun…

- Why, Himawari-chan?

- It's just that... I wanted to come here and be at peace with you… and, instead, I allowed myself to fall for my old hatreds, and I almost got you, my dearest person and my only friend in this damn world, killed… please, forgive me…

Gaara hugged her tenderly again, pressing her body against his gently, and Himawari understood that she was forgiven.

End of chapter 18.

A/N: I hope it's still to your liking. On the other side, I've been thinking a lot lately about making an OC for Gaara, so I've brought it to you. Her name is Himawari (himawari: 日回り = sunflower). Hope she shows up a little more in future episodes. On the other side, the new Feudal Lord, Toshihiro Shukka (shukka: 出火 = outbreak of fire), was another OC, as I actually don't know at all what was the original Feudal Lord's name (If anyone knows about it, please tell me). Enjoy, and don't forget to review!


	19. Chapter 19: The Shrimp Island

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters. ****I'm kind of sick and tired of having to repeat this thing after all these chapters, how troublesome…**

Chapter 19: The Shrimp Island.

Anko Mitarashi walked through the Hidden Leaf Hospital corridors, taking a break after torturing a traitor who acted as a leak for the Hidden Cloud Village, selling information of the Village's situation to the Raikage's spies. She felt quite nostalgic, as many of the Jounin she considered as friends had betrayed the village, leaving to other places. _Yes… call it nostalgia or whatever you like, Anko… I miss those guys…_ Particularly, Kakashi, Guy and Yamato, who had left to the Hidden Sand, were those she missed most. But she had a duty to fulfill, and she had to find them and turn them in.

All those inner debates between nostalgic friendship and righteous duty for the Village went straight down the sewers. She was watching how two Leaf Jounin ninjas were carrying an eye-glassed, fainted shinobi into a hospital room, and she recognized the fainted one with anger in her eyes. She jumped to the Jounin and screamed, enraged:

- WHAT IN THE HELL IS KABUTO YAKUSHI DOING HERE?!?

Even when she was just _too_ attractive, Anko caused more fear than desire in the men who were unlucky enough to meet her. One of the Jounin, **terrified**, stuttered to her:

- W-well, Anko, i-it's just that Lord D-Danzou has named him his p-personal a-ally! W-we just follow orders!

_If you're actually dealing with Kabuto's people, Danzou, then I'm out of here._

Anko ran to the open room's window, jumped through it and left to her home, riding the houses' rooftops. She had a new destiny. She packed her stuff, once in her house, and departed to the Hidden Sand Village.

Meanwhile, Naruto, Hinata, Yamato and the others appeared in one of the docks of the Shrimp Island. Shizune had recognized it, and the rest of the group simply nodded. The island was surrounded by a large concrete wall, a mile away from the island's coast, in the seabed. The dock was empty, and it was rather huge. Kakashi said:

- Let's not split yet. Take off anything that can identify you as an agent of this or that Hidden Village. We'd probably have a better welcome as renegades.

The group nodded, and as they took off their "villages' id", they properly entered the island.

The island was totally populated in the surroundings. It had a forest and a mountain to the center. Naruto detailed the people in the whole shore-city, quite busy and on the go, so unaware of anything that's not their own business that they didn't turn to the sides to see a thing. He said:

- They walk like horses with blinders… A thief here would surely be successful…

Kiba sniffed and said:

- The whole island smells like fish, mollusk and shellfish. I'm not sure how we're going to find Chouji here, Shikamaru.

Shikamaru grinned evilly and said, watching Naruto:

- I know how to do it. Come here.

Naruto reminded the day when they attempted to rescue Sasuke from the Sound Four, that Shikamaru used barbecue-flavor potato chips to lure Chouji out of his house; and with the memory, he chuckled. Shikamaru drew out of his pouch three bags of the mentioned chips. He gave one to Kakashi and one to Yamato, keeping the last one for himself. He said:

- It doesn't matter how many food can be around Chouji, or how good it might smell or taste. He adores the barbecue-flavor potato chips. We shall spread in our usual groups in a triangle formation. As I give command, we shall open the bags and leave a mark, so each group can know if they are walking on already explored terrain. After leaving the marks, we shall eat the potato chips really slowly, circling the whole island in the same direction, and making sure that the chips' scent spreads well. Remember to leave the last potato chip in the bag; he **enjoys the most** when he eats the last one.

Kiba shook his head, laughing, and Shino asked, as skeptical as always:

- Do you really think this might work, Shikamaru?

- I know Chouji since we were children, Shino, so I'm sure it will work.

That was logical enough for Shino. The three habitual groups formed up again, and ran to the indicated positions. They made the marks on the floor with kunai and called on the radio:

- Ready!

Shikamaru, hearing the replies, gave the command:

- Very well. Open the bags on my signal. Three, two, one, now!

Shikamaru opened his bag, and heard how Kakashi and Yamato did so. Naruto chuckled again with the memories, and Hinata didn't understand:

- Naruto-kun… what's so funny?

- It's just that this brings me back memories, Hinata-chan. If we're lucky, you'll see it yourself.

Shikamaru replied, grinning:

- Mimic me and we shall find him. – On the radio, he said: - Operation "Barbeque Chips" has started. Remember to eat very slowly, and eat all but the last chip.

Kakashi nodded and Yamato said:

- We trust your criteria, Shikamaru. I just hope this isn't any sort of prank.

- Trust me. I'm the one who knows Chouji best in this group.

Yamato nodded, and the three groups proceeded with the operation. Kakashi, Guy, Kirimaru, Shino and Maki walked with their chips bag open. Maki was the first one who dared to try a chip, and Shino watched her in detail. He whispered, with a surprised voice:

- You do like those potato chips?

Maki bit her potato chip and replied:

- They're not bad, Shino. Try one.

Maki took another chip and put it in front of Shino's blushed face. Maki giggled softly, and Shino couldn't avoid a smirk at Maki's gesture. He lowered the black sweater's zipper, revealing his mouth, and allowing Maki to lead the chip to his lips. She smiled when she finally saw him bite it. He said, smiling and relaxing his eyebrows for a while:

- Well, they're not bad, Maki.

Maki pecked Shino's lips, blushing and seeing the blushed and surprised expression Shino had on his face. She whispered him:

- You can take off your serious mask when you're with me, Shino-kun… I love you…

- I love you too… but, we're in a mission now, and…

- Yeah, that's true. – Maki sounded bored: - Lure out the fatty boy with barbecue chips.

Shino put a hand on her cheek delicately, making her smirk:

- After we find him, I promise you a dinner together…

Maki's smirk turned to a sweet smile:

- Okay!

Maki hugged Shino and released him, going back to the _mission_ with renewed mood.

In Yamato's group, Kiba and Akamaru walked hypnotized by the barbecue smell. Sakura, resigned, said:

- I forgot that your nose is your weak point, Kiba…

Shizune, who couldn't avoid a giggle while seeing the young couple, turned to grab another chip, while Dorou ate a second chip. Yamato said, quite innocently:

- Kiba, come on, eat a chip, you too.

Sakura had to make a great effort, hugging Kiba with her super strength, to avoid him from jumping over the potato chip bag… and over Yamato, who had it in his hands. She said:

- Give me _just_ one!

Sakura took the chip and said to Kiba, kind of scolding him:

- One chip, but get focused on the mission, okay?

Kiba nodded, watching Sakura's furious green eyes, and took the chip, sharing it with Akamaru. After both were satisfied, **and** scolded, they kept on their mission.

In the third group, Naruto, Hinata and Hagane watched how Shikamaru and Temari, giggling and chuckling, bit the potato chips in a very particular way, making a very loud _crunch_ sound. Hinata asked:

- W-wow… Is that t-the way to eat t-the potato chips?

Temari replied:

- If you want to attract Chouji, rather than repelling him, yes.

In that instant, a red-dressed fat guy, wearing the Akimichi Clan's trademark armor, long, brown hair; wide cheeks marked with red spirals, and small eyes peeked through a house's window. Naruto noticed his presence, just like Shikamaru. He frowned:

- Eat _now_! Enjoy it more! Make the chips crunch louder!

The group obeyed, laughing as they watched an enraged Chouji, leaving the house at full speed, and heading towards them with aggressiveness in his eyes. Shikamaru radioed the coordinates to the other groups, and Chouji jumped to the chips, taking them off of Shikamaru's hands:

- You force me to step into the light! Damn! Come to my house!

Shikamaru nodded, while Chouji led them, looking to the sides at all times. As they entered, the other groups got the lead, and entered too. Chouji checked on the rather large group and asked, frowning:

- What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be hiding from Danzou? Or are you now by his side?

Chouji raised a fist in threatening mood, and Shikamaru, glancing at Temari, said:

- We're missing-nin just like you, Chouji, and Gaara will offer us protection in the Sand Village.

A female voice came out of the kitchen:

- Chouji, who is there?

- The guys are here, Asumi-chan. Want to say hi? – Chouji's voice seemed quite calm.

A gray dressed girl, with long, dark violet hair, gray eyes and gentle smile joined the group:

- Hello there, Shikamaru, master Shizune, Kakashi, how are you? What brings you to our humble home?

Temari talked:

- We come to talk to you about moving.

- Moving? – Asumi asked, quite confused. Sakura answered:

- As Danzou has put a search-and-destroy warrant on us, just for being the Twelve of the Leaf, or being close to them, we decided to join forces and hide in the Hidden Sand. Gaara is waiting for us.

Chouji said, rather bluntly:

- We're not coming. - This surprised the whole group. When Shikamaru asked him why, he simply answered: - If it's about war, then I just want to be as far away from it as possible… and I guess Asumi agrees with me.

Asumi nodded, and Kiba said:

- Well, it's your choice, man, but don't forget that this upcoming war will be brought to you by Danzou, and it will crush this island to dust if he deems it unworthy for his conquering plans.

Asumi frowned, while Chouji looked at him. Shikamaru noticed that he was quite upset due to their arrival, so he said:

- Well, you know where we're going to be, so, if you ever consider rejoining the Twelve of the Leaf, you're welcome.

Chouji pointed at the door and said:

- Now, please, leave this place. The island's army will arrive at any moment, and I'll have to explain who the hell were you, how the hell you arrived and when the hell you're leaving us alone, in peace… if they don't even decide to consider you're dangerous enough like for being killed.

The door knocked at that time. Chouji made a sign, and everyone hid somewhere inside the house. He opened the door and stopped a mace attack with his bare hand, surprising the soldier who attacked on the other side of the door. Chouji asked:

- What's going on here?

- You will receive the punishment for sheltering missing-nin from our new ally, the Hidden Leaf! You should turn them, and yourself, in, so the Leaf authorities can handle your sorry asses! – The soldier's mood was quite aggressive, and Chouji was upset:

- Fine then! Asumi! Get everything ready! We're gone!

The Akimichi ninja decided to use his own strength, taking off the mace from the guard with ease, and pushing him outside, locking the door after that. Then, a scream was heard:

- REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED IN THE HOUSE NUMBER 274!!!!

Chouji knew that this peace of his was totally screwed, and ran to assist Asumi, who was already packing their stuff: money, food, clothes, and several weapons. After a few minutes, they were ready. The group was ready to leave, and Chouji opened a window:

- Follow me! I've got a vessel!

Chouji jumped through a wide window, followed by Asumi, and the others jumped after them. The streets were still crowded, and the space was quite reduced in the back alleys, only being able to run in couples. Naruto yelled:

- We must make a diversion, Chouji! We're quite vulnerable!

Chouji replied:

- Then, make your way to the dock 28, there's my vessel!

- Good luck, people! – Asumi sounded a bit worried, but she was willing to give it all, in order to get the hell out of that ungrateful island. She drew her whip and, after making a few hand signs, she gave electric chakra to it.

The groups split up, turning in different back alleys, some in couples, and others on their own. Naruto and Hinata quickly arrived to a square that faced to the coast. It had a large fountain and nice designs of mermaids made in stone, but it had also lots of guards armed with maces and spears. Taking advantage of the square's long fountain, Naruto and Hinata glanced to each other and nodded, grinning evilly. They jumped to the water, and as both started to move their hands as if they were amassing thin-air-based tornados, the twenty guards hurried to surround them. As they jumped towards them, the fountain's water rose to the skies, moving as a helix around Naruto and Hinata, and a strong blizzard started to force the water cylinder to spin faster and faster, expanding itself and harming the guards, some with water whip hits, and others with wind slashes. As the whole guard group fell to the ground, unable to move at all, Naruto and Hinata kept running, reaching a dock. Hinata saw the dock's number: 36, and claimed:

- It's the number 28! Let's go, Naruto-kun!

Hinata activated her bloodline trait and searched for the dock 28. She found it, and also saw that there were already members of their group there. She deactivated the Byakugan, taking Naruto's hand:

- This way!

Naruto ran after hinata, and after several minutes they found Hagane, Kirimaru, Shino, Maki, Shikamaru and Temari, all waiting in the dock 28, beside a large ship. Naruto saw how Kiba, Akamaru and Sakira arrived, and got nervous:

- There are still a lot of people missing!

They saw Chouji and Asumi arrive, and behind them, there was Shizune, with a wound in her arm. After them, Kakashi, Guy, Dorou and Yamato arrived. Guy said:

- Very well, people!! Let's get out of this island!!

All of a sudden, a weird voice came out of the ship, scaring the whole group:

- The only place you're all leaving to is Interrogation and Torture!!

They all turned, watching a Leaf Ninja who started arming hand seals at high speed. Hinata and Naruto jumped to the front, sensing how the seas turned more turbulent each second after that ninja armed his hand seals. A huge eel got out of the sea, breaking the walls with a single hit, and entering the island. Hinata and Naruto bit their fingers and started arming seals, throwing their hands to the floor. The whole group watched, amazed, how a large, dark red toad, armed with a spiked diapason-like mace and a shield, and a large, orange-scaled dragon, armed with two maces, appeared from large smoke clouds. The dragon, watching the toad, said:

- Hey there, Gamaken… - then he turned to the huge eel and said: - No, not the Giant Eel again!

- Knock it off, Ryuuga! – Gamaken's voice was more commanding than usual, forcing Ryuuga into a battle stance: - This time it seems we're facing a strong summon…

- Well, the two **clumsiest** summonses are going to defend this ship. – Ryuuga turned to the summoner couple and said: - Hi, Hinata! I'm Ryuuga! Take care of that Yamanaka scum; he's controlling the Giant Eel!

- We count on you! – Naruto's and Hinata's synchronized yell slapped the rest of the group out of their awe, who still stared at the two kids' summoned creatures. Sakura said:

- I shall provide medical assistance!

Sakura bit her lip, catching blood in her thumb, and armed her own hand seals, slamming a hand to the floor, and summoning Katsuyu. The rest of the group attempted to draw the mentalist ninja out of his concentration, to avoid him handling the giant eel at his will. The Leaf Ninja dodged the attacks easily, while he threw the furious eel to destroy the dock, along with the ship and whoever stood in the way. Naruto and Hinata created shadow clones and sent them to attack, while they evaluated the situation. Hinata, with her Byakugan activated, saw the Leaf Ninja and understood how his technique worked. She yelled:

- Lord Ryuuga! Lord Gamaken! The Eel is a Mind Puppet! It's not a summoning, but a complex mind control victim!

Naruto screamed then:

- Lord Gamaken! We must break the bond!

- You think I can do that, Naruto? I'm too clumsy… - Gamaken's trademark whine was cut off, when Naruto saw how the large toad caught the eel inside his diapason-like mace:

- No, you're not, Lord Gamaken! You've got it caught! Lord Ryuuga!

- Very well!

Ryuuga hit the eel in the base of the jaw, making the mentalist ninja turn heavily distracted. Sakura, after summoning Katsuyu, and aware of Naruto and Hinata's warning, asked them:

- What can we do?

Hinata said:

- Once we release the mind control over the eel, send Katsuyu to heal it, so it can leave in peace.

Sakura and Katsuyu nodded. Kiba and Akamaru hit the enemy ninja, but it still wasn't enough. The Eel kept under the fierce mental control. Hagane could do a little there, as her fighting style was quite useless in presence of salt water. Kakashi and Yamato played combined attacks, but the mentalist was still quite agile. Asumi could catch him with her whip, and shock the hell out of him with her Electricity chakra, but the mentalist was expert in substitution techniques, and there seemed not to be a way to defeat him. In that moment, the giant eel fainted, and both Ryuuga and Gamaken attacked the ninja, something he didn't expect at all. The dragon grasped the ninja with a large slap and said:

- If you think you can get away with it, Kyosuke Yamanaka, then you think wrong.

Kyosuke Yamanaka burst out in laughter:

- Don't insist to fight me! I can control all of your minds at the same time!

Ryuuga laughed soundly, making the own Gamaken stare at him:

- Oh, please, try to control me! Please!

Kyosuke, feeling himself challenged by a lowlife summon, attacked Ryuuga with his mind control, but he could achieve nothing. Surprised, he tried again, nervously, while Ryuuga closed his grasp, crushing him. Finally, Kyosuke Yamanaka started begging for mercy, but it was too late. Ryuuga saw the large group of ninjas on the dock, all bruised and slashed, and some of them with shuriken nailed on their bodies, forcing the medic ninjas and Katsuyu to work hard. Gamaken turned to the dragon and nodded. Ryuuga turned to Hinata, and she nodded, and then he turned to Naruto, who said:

- If he lives, more like him will come after us. Or, even so, other clans will come and attack us.

Hinata, nodding at Naruto's words, said:

- I just want for us to reach our destiny in peace, Lord Ryuuga…

Ryuuga closed his grasp completely, breaking all of Kyosuke Yamanaka's bones. When Katsuyu finished healing the group, she healed the giant eel, and it went back to the ocean, breaking another section of the concrete wall. Chouji led everyone into the ship, and Naruto saw the three summoned creatures. Sakura said:

- Thanks a lot for your assistance, lady Katsuyu. You can withdraw now.

- Very well, Sakura-chan.

Katsuyu disappeared in a smoke cloud. Hinata checked on Ryuuga and said:

- I guess that, from now on, we can go on our own. Thanks for everything, Lord Ryuuga.

- We're always at your service, Hinata-chan.

Ryuuga vanished in a second smoke cloud. Naruto glanced to Gamaken and said:

- Excellent work, Lord Gamaken. Now you can get some rest. Thanks again.

- No problem, Naruto-chan.

Gamaken vanished in a third smoke cloud. Asumi and Chouji made the boat leave the docks, leaving the wall-protected island in minutes. Going towards them, eight flagless ships navigated to the island.

End of Chapter 19.

A/N: Another long one. Hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review. I know that Chouji seemed to be kind of OOC, but he'll recover soon.


	20. Chapter 20: Desperation

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I would have killed many characters by now.**

Chapter 20: Desperation.

The strong leader of the Hidden Cloud Village, the Raikage, couldn't still get over the conflict caused by the deaths of Yugito and Killerbee, both hosts of Tailed Beasts, and the last of them his younger brother, both having happened the last year. Three of his best agents: Omoi, Karui and the gorgeous Samui, were dealing with him when a green-dressed agent entered the Raikage's office:

- Lord Raikage! Bad news!

Omoi claimed:

- Can it be that, in a whole damn year, all we get is bad news? This year has just been a real mess to us!

Samui realized that Karui would start arguing Omoi, so she stated, fiercely:

- Speak, Midori.

- Lord Raikage! Lady Mizukage and Lord Tsuchikage had allied the Hidden Sand against the Hidden Leaf! It seems that the Leaf is throwing everything they've got!

Raikage pressed his fists, feeling the electricity flow through his arms:

- Goddamn it! I _really_ want to kill that Sixth Hokage bastard! How dare he insult us that way?

Midori, quite fearful, continued the report:

- His ANBU Black-Ops agents were sent to our frontier, and they've taken out our border guards!

Raikage slammed his fists against the desk, tearing it in half, and took a document he had set apart. He signed it and said:

- Send this immediately to the Hidden Sand Village immediately! Omoi, Karui, Samui! Don't allow those ANBU cross our border!

The four ninjas replied at the same time:

- Yes, Sir!!

As the four left the office, Raikage thought about many things, totally freaked out. He punished himself fiercely for not keeping Yugito and Killerbee guarded and watched full time, because now **he needed them** badly.

In the Hidden Rock Village, the elder Tsuchikage was meeting the Advisors' Council, discussing important business:

- We should have taken out that brat Naruto! Right now, the Hidden Leaf has a lot more power than the rest of the Hidden Villages!

The elder who had said these words was bald and wore sunglasses. Tsuchikage simply stated:

- Naruto is not with the Leaf, elder Youki, he fled from it…

Youki replied:

- And how can you be so sure of that?!

- I've been watching him this whole year, and both he and his little friends of the Leaf's Twelve had run away from Danzou's grasp.

Youki spoke for the other elders:

- Hmmm, twelve brats have left the Hidden Leaf, so what?

Tsuchikage was utterly mad with the total and willing subordination of the Council of Twelve Elders to Youki's voice, and Youki himself was quite troublesome. He had to state clearly and fiercely:

- The Twelve of the Leaf were one of the most promising ninja squadrons in the Hidden Leaf, and under Tsunade Senju's command they achieved countless victories for the Leaf Village; even they could establish a long-lasting alliance with the Hidden Sand's Kazekage, Gaara of the Desert.

- And what's the big deal with that?

- Gaara is counting on reuniting them and keeping them under his command, and also he's showing that he has the required strength needed to fight the corrupted Leaf. The Hidden Mist rushed to ally them, and I've signed for that alliance too already.

The elders startled, and Youki asked, furious:

- How could you undermine our position with such a situation going on?! You took a decision without consulting us at all!!

Tsuchikage grinned evilly:

- As I knew you would eventually force an alliance with Danzou and the Leaf's Two Elders, and that's not on our interests, I decided to play my part immediately.

- But, what about our neutral stance?

- It wouldn't be kept for long, and I don't even intend to ally such treacherous harpies. I've acted, and I don't intend to go back on my actions whatsoever.

The elders had no words, meaning that _Youki had no words_. Tsuchikage spoke bluntly as he left that place:

- I don't even consider discussing this anymore, so I'm going back to my office.

The Council Room's door was shut rather bluntly as the Tsuchikage left.

In the Hidden Mist Village, the Fifth Mizukage received a messenger hawk. She took the hawk delicately; she fed it and took the letter off its leg. She read it and smiled calmly. _Everything goes according to the plan. Gaara has already found Naruto Uzumaki and some of his partners. With the Leaf's Twelve we shall have a great advantage against Danzou… and even against Madara Uchiha, if he ever shows up again…_

In the Hidden Leaf Village, a purple-haired attractive woman, with her hair tied in a ponytail, quite tight fishnet clothing partially covered by a short skirt and a jacket, and an enraged snake-like glare, she finally abandoned the Hidden Leaf, with lots of scrolls in her backpack, heading southwest. She knew very well that she would be pursued, but, after having the approval of her master, the greatest interrogator of the Leaf: Ibiki Morino, she left the village, without a single word. She knew that there would probably be squadrons of ANBU Root hunter-nin after her, as they would be the only ones who wouldn't piss their pants in fear in her presence. Anyways, she could eliminate them easily. Being the Snake Jounin was not exactly something fancy. _And else, I promised Kakashi that we'd be seeing each other again, and I'm really longing for that. I just hope he's okay._

In the hidden Sand, Gaara checked papers after papers, with the unconditional assistance of the recently arrived Himawari. Many of the things that reached his hands were quite tense, and others were quite relaxing, and finally, a letter that called for Gaara's attention. Himawari took it and read it loudly:

- Here says that "the Hidden Rain Village is in need to gather information about Naruto Uzumaki's location. We still cannot believe that he actually abandoned the Hidden Leaf Village, and we need to find him". The seal is from Lady Konan.

Gaara took his hands to his face, when an unexpected visitor appeared in the office, as if he came out from a vortex. His voice was nervous, as if he was threatened, but it also had that jackass tone that irritated him long ago:

- Um, hi, Kazekage-kun!

Himawari was startled, but Gaara took her arm:

- I'll handle this, Himawari…

Gaara looked at the black-tunic-dressed man, with his orange mask, and said:

- How dare you show up against us after what you did, Madara Uchiha?

Himawari was scared, but Madara simply stated, nervously:

- Um, well, I just wanted to tell you that Naruto Uzumaki was already found by your search squad! Now they're after the rest of the Twelve of the Leaf!

Gaara, noting Madara's nervousness, and trying to figure out if it was real or fake, said:

- Give me proof, I don't trust Akatsuki.

Madara swallowed deep, and in that moment, as another weird vortex appeared in Madara's eye, a second figure showed up, a figure Gaara recognized immediately. Seeing **him** wasn't very funny either. The newcomer said:

- Naruto is in the Shrimp Island. Perhaps he will leave that place in a few days. He'll keep searching for the rest of the Leaf's twelve, and after that, we all shall have a meeting here.

- What do you talk about, Sasuke Uchiha? – Gaara spoke coldly.

- I won't say anything else until we're all gathered. Goodbye.

Madara, scared due to Sasuke's presence, activated the vortex, and both left with it. Gaara and Himawari saw them leave, and as they vanished, the door was knocked. Gaara said, angry:

- Step in.

Baki opened the door and said:

- We received a messenger dog from Kakashi's group. They gathered Uzumaki's group and Chouji Akimichi. They're still searching for the rest of the Twelve of the Leaf.

- Thanks, lord Baki. We can't lose sight of that group.

Baki withdrew, nodding. Himawari, after seeing Baki leave, hugged Gaara and started whispering things to his ear, trying to bend his uprising anger. Gaara took a deep breath and returned the hug, saying:

- Himawari-chan… I surely don't like this…

- Me neither, Gaara-kun, but we'll find a way out of this…

- Whenever Naruto arrives, we shall have a long conversation with everyone…

Himawari sank a hand on his red hair, trying to ease his tensions, and Gaara hugged her with a bit more of strength:

- The Leaf tries to kill me and Akatsuki wants to speak with us…

- I'll protect you, Gaara-kun…

Gaara was comforted by Himawari's voice, and felt her heat, releasing a bit of strength in his hug, and feeling how his hand started to fit in her yellow-orange curly hair, running through them softly. Himawari blushed ad kissed Gaara's cheek, and Gaara's face turned red wine from the amount of blood that rushed to his head. _I've never received a kiss before…_Gaara returned the gesture, and Himawari whispered:

- Ok, then, let's get back to work; we can have some time after the dusk hour.

Gaara nodded, and returned to his paperwork, helped by his dearest friend.

End of Chapter 20.

A/N: I know, it took me a while to update, but I'll start updating more consistently from the next week on. Hope you like how this is going. Please review!


	21. Chapter 21: Boat Trip

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters. ****If I got paid for this, I'd be quite happy for now… but I ain't.**

Chapter 21: Boat Trip.

Naruto saw the large amount of ships getting close to them, and he also noticed that they weren't heading towards the island anymore: they were setting course to intercept them. He warned Kakashi, and he detailed the boats. He said:

- Those are pirate boats. Be careful.

Shikamaru thought while the rest of the group worked adjusting the ship's sails. Chouji navigated with fierce commands, and Asumi watched that everything was set up right. Shikamaru said:

- Hey, Chouji! Our destiny is the Island of Ice!

- Very well!

Chouji turned the wheel to the west. Shikamaru turned to Naruto and said:

- Naruto! Quickly! Use your wind chakra to hit the sails!

Naruto understood that they had to steer up to elude the pirates, and focused his chakra, moving his arms, legs and body in circular patterns, throwing strong wind blows to the sails. Hinata decided to help and walked downstairs to the crew's rooms. She focused her own chakra, sensing the water's movements. Slowly, she started redirecting the waves with her chakra, moving gracefully while being alone. As they noticed that they accelerated a lot more than what they could with Naruto's wind blows, Sakura felt curious. She saw Naruto move with great strength and agility, generating strong winds to the sails. _He has earned such a control of the Air chakra that he's able to use it fluidly, as if he was breathing to replenish his energy after each blow._ Once more, she felt sad inside, as she saw a Naruto that was completely different from the punk she used to deal with during her childhood. _This Naruto is different…and he changed just because he stopped paying any attention to me… The worst of it all: I'm starting to __like__ this Naruto, but he wants nothing to do with me anymore… I understand him now, but I can do nothing else than just that: understand him…_ She decided to peek through the sides, and realized that the water underneath them was moving in a way that allowed them to steer up faster.

Sakura walked down to the lower rooms, cautious. Hiding, she noticed that Hinata was moving through the whole corridor, dancing in a way that she was **also** captivated. Feeling the chakra movement, Sakura noticed that Hinata's chakra rose and motioned constantly and fluidly._ As if they'd just breathe to gather more energy… They two have become so powerful, and also the nicest couple… Damn it!_ Sakura also noticed that Hinata's chakra turned thinner as it passed through the ship's hull, but it immediately matched the water's density when it was out, and then it was moved to motion the ship, moving according to the young Hyuuga's dancing rhythm. _I never would've imagined this when I thought about Naruto and Hinata's combined techniques. They work in full coordination, with no need of signs or even to see each other._ Sakura, with a bitter smile on her face, decided to go upstairs silently.

Shikamaru saw Sakura, made a sign to her and said:

- I guess Naruto's becoming a lot more powerful…

- Hinata helps him from downstairs… She moves the water to grant us more speed.

Shikamaru was surprised with Sakura's words. He turned to the rear, and he saw that the pirate ships were out of sight. He commanded:

- Go tell Hinata that she can come up now.

Sakura went to tell Hinata that they were safe now, and she returned up, seeing Naruto dry his sweat with one of his jacket's sleeves. Hinata ran to hug him and he returned the gesture. She said:

- Naruto-kun! Did you feel m-my chakra acting on the water?

- Yes, Hinata-chan! Perfect synchronization! We should do this again some other day! Maybe a boat race or something!

Hinata and Naruto giggled softly, together. The shy Hyuuga looked worn out, but there was something different on her expression. Yamato dared to ask:

- Don't you think Hinata seems to be a lot happier now, Kakashi-sempai?

Kakashi, glancing at the couple, and seeing how Kiba, Shino and Akamaru congratulated them, said:

- This is a masterpiece of Naruto Uzumaki, Yamato. The young, shy Hinata Hyuuga has become a world-scale threat.

- She summoned a dragon… the only person who could summon dragons, as I can recall, was the fourth Hokage's wife, and after her, there was not a word on the street about dragon summoners.

Shizune said, a little distant from them:

- The Alliance between Toads and Dragons is re-established… that's quite good for us…

Chouji, still serious,and kind of troubled, said:

- Well, people, great job. Let's go have lunch. The trip will last for two weeks!

The group nodded, and Asumi, with a quick movement, opened a small door in the deck that revealed the access to the ship's dining room's stairs. They all went down, ate and started to do different activities.

Naruto and Hinata meditated, when, all of a sudden, a chakra wrapped them. Both appeared together in a dark hall. Naruto recognized the place, so as the two people who showed up in front of them: Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. She spoke:

- Hey, Naruto, you never introduced us to your girlfriend.

Hinata blushed and Naruto hugged her tenderly. He said:

- Dad, mom, she is Hinata Hyuuga.

Minato got close to the young Hyuuga and held her hand sincerely. Hinata bowed, and Minato said:

- Don't worry, Hinata. I may have been the Fourth Hokage, but right now I'm just your boyfriend's father. You can be calm with us, Hinata.

Hinata blushed and held his hand. Minato smiled kindly to her, and then Kushina got close to her. She looked at her with curiosity and smiled:

- You are quite different to every single Hyuuga I ever met. You're even different to the twins. Even I realized that you became the heiress of my dragon summoning. Congratulations.

Hinata smiled:

- I-It's a great honor to meet you two…

Kushina took her husband's hand and said:

- Give us your hands, kids.

Naruto and Hinata glanced at each other and obeyed. In that instant, they felt how an enormous amount of chakra was revolved around the whole place, around them, and inside their bodies. Minato said:

- Your chakra levels are actually as big as the ones we had when we were alive… in just two and a half months?

Naruto and Hinata nodded. Kushina said, with a kind smile:

- That's really impressive, kids, but it's still not enough. You still have a lot of work to do. Hinata, you and Naruto need to work a lot on your personal chakra reserves. Else, I want you to train with the elder toads and dragons. You need still to handle the natural chakra with dexterity.

Minato continued:

- The higher your chakra capacity and control are, the more the quantity of natural chakra you can handle, and the best the control you can have of it.

All of a sudden, a figure appeared from the darkness, behind Minato and Kushina. Naruto recognized it as Kyuubi, in its fox shape:

- If you want to protect me, you must become even stronger than me, kids. Wake up; we shall take you to the mount Myoboku. The elders Fukasaku and Ryuuza are already waiting for you.

Kushina said, before starting to vanish:

- Learn from Naruto, Hinata-chan. Befriend the dragons. Let them know of you, and learn about them too. That way, the bond will become stronger.

As they actually vanished, Minato said:

- Naruto, Hinata, you've got our blessing. Be happy together.

In that moment, Hinata and Naruto woke up, hands held. In that moment, Aoryuu and Gamakichi appeared in the boat. Sakura, who sneaked in their room, had Kiba and Akamaru beside her. She desperately wanted to know what made them so powerful, and both Kiba and Akamaru agreed to find that out. The three of them heard the conversation, Naruto starting:

- Hey there, Gamakichi.

- H-hello, Aoryuu. – Hinata's voice was a bit stuttered yet; she wasn't expecting them to arrive.

- Guys, ready to leave? – Gamakichi's voice was recognized by the "stalkers": - Don't worry. With your actual level, in two weeks you'll become even greater shinobi.

Hinata seemed to be quite calm, and even relaxed in front of Gamakichi, and that startled Sakura. _How can she be so fond of a… slimy and so annoying… toad?_ Aoryuu said:

- Probably, you'll finish before the two weeks of this boat trip, so we could drop you back directly in the Island of Ice.

Hinata turned to Naruto, blushed, and said:

- Well, we could… s-spend some time… together, Naruto-kun… but we'd have to do such a great effort.

Naruto kissed Hinata's forehead tenderly:

- Of course, Hinata-chan. I'll do whatever it takes to have some quality time with you.

Aoryuu and Gamakichi got surprised with Hinata's following words, and with her mischievous giggling, and they tried to contain their laughter:

- We almost have no time for ourselves, Naruto-kun; there's always someone stalking us… as if they wished to break us apart at the first slip…

Aoryuu and Gamakichi couldn't contain their laughter anymore, making it soundly as Naruto added, quite innocently:

- Yeah, yeah, Sakura-chan has been quite bothersome with that lately.

Sakura felt like she was beaten with a mallet in her chest. Hinata continued, also innocently:

- Poor Kiba-kun, he must be thinking she's in love with you still or something like that, Naruto-kun…

_So truthful it hurts… _Kiba, with no words, withdrew, and Sakura, returning to the real world, ran to their shared room, finding it was locked from the inside. Naruto and Hinata saw the toad and the dragon, and he asked them:

- Hey, guys, what's going on? Why are you laughing so soundly?

Hinata asked, being a little startled:

- H-Had we just said s-something… funny?

Aoryuu, still rolling on the **air** laughing (yes, Aoryuu doesn't exactly need to crawl if he doesn't want to; the Far Eastern snake-like Dragons can actually float and reach the skies), said:

- We shall tell you when we get to the mount Myoboku, Hinata-chan. Let's go.

Sakura heard how hand seals were armed in Hinata and Naruto's room, and, when she arrived, she saw a large smoke cloud there instead of the quartet. Crying desperately, she went back and knocked the door of the room she was sharing with Kiba. The dog ninja didn't open the door, and Sakura's knocks to the door only made two yelling voices come out of the room in front of hers:

- Let us be quiet! What a problem!

- Now one can't play Shougi around here? How troublesome!

_Damn it, now Shikamaru and Temari are going to peek outside here._ Sakura broke in tears and tried to talk, sobbing in a low voice:

- K-Kiba… p-please; open the… … for me…

- I'm sorry, Sakura, I need to be alone. – Kiba's answer was quite hurt, and cold.

- P-please…

- I'm sorry, if I'm going to be a consolation prize for you, let me assume it as such. Good night.

- But, Kiba-kun! You're not-!

- **Good night, Sakura**.

Kiba's final answer froze her, and Sakura felt her heart, once more, shatter into tiny pieces. The pink-haired kunoichi entered Naruto's room, decided to spend the night crying in Naruto's bed.

Shino and Maki talked quietly when they heard the whole spectacle in the corridor. They got up from their beds and opened the gate, seeing Sakura hide inside Naruto's room. Maki asked softly:

- Could that be something wrong with Kiba?

- Let's find that out, Maki. I can hear both their cries and sobs from here. Let's check on Sakura first.

Maki went to Naruto and Hinata's room, finding a lonely Sakura crying.

Meanwhile, in the mount Myoboku, Aoryuu and Gamakichi watched Naruto and Hinata. The humans looked so worried; as they found out they could have been the cause of a breakup between Sakura and Kiba, without even realizing it. Noticing that this was serious, Aoryuu said:

- I thought you actually knew that you had those brats sneaking up on you.

- Yes, that's why we were laughing, guys. I'm sorry. – Gamakichi bent towards them, just like Aoryuu. Naruto was about to say something when Hinata got the first word:

- The blame was ours. We wanted to make a point out of it, but we never thought that they'd be sneaking up on us together. I'm feeling so bad.

Naruto saw Hinata shed a tear and took his hand to her cheek softly, catching the tear in its fall. He said to her:

- Hinata-chan, I was the one who started this mess. I should've seen Gamakichi's look, or Aoryuu's, and realize that they were sneaking up on us. As I let Sakura's name get out of my mouth so carelessly, she might think that we were mocking of her… and of Kiba…

Aoryuu surprised the couple with a rather blunt statement:

- Even so, if they were so hurt and troubled by your words, it means that they were true somehow.

Fukasaku interrupted them, showing up with a small and old dragon, scales like diamond:

- Enough chatter, let's start our training.

Naruto and Hinata followed the recently arrived elders to the Stone Toads Fountain. Hinata would start her training there.

In the ship, Maki held Sakura's shoulders, and the last one cried inconsolably. Maki's sweet eyes tried to scan the pink-haired kunoichi's tearful look, while Shino looked at them from the room's door. Maki said:

- Sakura… please, listen to me; calm down… breathe and talk to me…

Sakura tried to turn her back on the green-haired kunoichi, but she spoke smoothly, holding her shoulders firmly:

- Please, tell me what turned you so down…

Calming herself down, but still in tears and sobs, Sakura replied:

- Naruto… He and Hinata… both… they left me _completely naked_…

Maki saw Shino, and he nodded. Maki said:

- Explain that to me; if they humiliated you somehow I'll slay them…

Sakura replied again:

- T-they read my whole emotional state as if… as if it was a magazine… right in front of Kiba… and now… - Sakura closed her fists in sadness: - now I'm going to lose the third guy I've had in my whole life…

Shino said, quite awkwardly:

- But, do you love Kiba, Sakura?

- Yes, I love him, a lot… b-but, I've treated him like every other guy: like a lap dog… and realizing that really hurts me…

Maki got close to Sakura and put an arm around her shoulders:

- If you love him that much, and if you feel pain when seeing him like that, then stop treating him that way. Sasuke doesn't even seem to be human anymore, and Naruto is really happy with his girlfriend. Remember that friends and crushes come and go with the wind, but if you really love someone, then you must be careful to not let the winds of time take him off from you. Ask him for another chance; I know he'll give it to you.

Shino assured:

- Kiba will be happy if you treat him the same way you wish to be treated like. If you treat him like a **consolation prize**, and I'm just using _his_ words, he'll treat you the same way. Be smart, Sakura. Don't give him all what he wants, or ask him all what you want. Accept yourselves with what you have, and you'll be truly happy if you love each other for real.

Sakura nodded, still sobbing, and Maki whispered to him:

- Now, ask for the dog ninja's forgiveness. He'll appreciate it much if you do it sincerely.

Sakura felt how Maki pattered her shoulder, and Shino said:

- Better now than later. I know Kiba quite well, and if you don't treat this wound in him now, he'll just walk away from you.

Sakura stood up and knocked Kiba's door. After a sobbing forgiveness petition, said with really hurt words, and a small arguing in low voice, the door was open widely, and Kiba received a hug from Sakura, closing the door as she got in. Maki and Shino smiled, realizing they had played the matchmaker for once. Shino opened his jacket to kiss Maki, and then they returned to their own room, as, after the kiss, both yawned.

End of chapter 21.

A/N: Here comes another delivery for the few loyal readers and reviewers. Hope you still like it. Please review!


	22. Chapter 22: Hyuuga Sage Mode

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. ****If I did, the original story would be quite messy and crappy, heh heh! Just like this one! =)  
**

Chapter 22: Hyuuga Sage Mode.

A week passed, and the youngest ninjas, in the ship, were having their time invested in different things. Chouji and Asumi commanded the ship, being replaced by the Jounin when they went to eat, train or sleep. Shikamaru and Temari had a quiet time toether, watching the clouds together, playing Shougi or even attempting to talk with the other guys. Shino and Maki couldn't do much, as they were not exactly on their _element_ inside that ship. Kiba and Sakura, reconciled, played with Akamaru in the deck. The Sand ninjas only chatted between themselves, or with the renegade Jounin, and sometimes with Shikamaru and Temari. The ex-Leaf Jounin only showed up at all when something was needed to be done. There was still not any news from Naruto or Hinata. They only knew that they had left to the mount Myoboku, and that they would be training over there.

In the mount Myoboku, Hinata was sitting over a thin square rock, which was perfectly balanced over a pointy rocky stalagmite, at forty-five feet from the ground. She was doing the final exercise in the middle of a rocky stalagmite field. The old dragon Ryuuza was glad as he saw Hinata completely motionless in her meditations and her contemplations. He said:

- Your control is just impressive. Do you feel the nature's chakra, Hinata-chan?

Hinata replied, completely calm:

- Yes. I can perceive its constant flow, master Ryuuza.

- Very well. Open your eyes then.

Hinata opened her eyes and noticed a great difference in her perception of the world. Ryuuza noticed the navy-blue borders surrounding her eyelids, and saw the dark-red ones around Naruto's eyelids. Naruto, who was still training the Sage combat style, mixed with his Air chakra, was being watched and advised by the elder toad Fukasaku. Ryuuza smiled gently and said:

- How do you feel your chakra flow, Hinata?

Hinata noticed the great difference, and also noticed that her own chakra mixed constantly with the nature's one, and as she breathed, she realized that she was replenishing her chakra with each breath **more effectively** than before. She said:

- A lot more relaxed and active, master.

Ryuuza grinned:

- How about your sensorial perception?

Hinata noticed that she could see more sharply and neatly, also she could hear more accurately. Her sense of smell perceived almost every single scent around her. She could also feel the impact of the wind in her skin, and the different things carried with the wind as it contacted her skin, and she wondered if her sense of taste also became sharper. She said:

- It's just a lot sharper than usual, master.

Ryuuza was relaxed with each question:

- How about your chakra perception?

- I can sense all the chakra around me. – Hinata stopped when glancing to the diamond-scaled dragon and noticed his chakra points, as neatly as if she would have her Byakugan activated: - Master… I can perceive your chakra points without using my bloodline trait…

Ryuuza said before Hinata could attempt to do anything:

- That's excellent. Now, let me warn you something. – Hinata's full attention got drawn to him, just before she even decided to attempt something: - You might feel tempted to activate the Byakugan while you're in Sage Mode, even when you actually realize you don't need it at all.

Hinata, curious, asked:

- Can Naruto-kun also see chakra points while in Sage Mode?

- Yes; even when his eyes aren't trained at all for doing such a feat, unlike yours, he can see anyone's chakra points, but not as neatly as you.

Hinata stared at him, thinking about some things. Then, she asked:

- Why can't I use my Byakugan while in Sage Mode?

Ryuuza realized that this girl was smart, and explained:

- The Byakugan, as you must know well, reacts at the presence of chakra, showing colors and shines to your eyes as you actually see any chakra source. – Hinata nodded and Ryuuza continued: - If you activate it while in Sage Mode, in the best of cases, you'd get dizzy and suffer of constant megrim. In the worst case, you could turn completely blind in a matter of seconds, losing your sight sense forever as you stare amongst chakra sources that will end up shining with multiplied strength towards your eyes.

Hinata frowned, thinking about turning blind, but then, as she saw Naruto still sparring, after almost four hours, she smiled, when a light spark reached her heart and her mind at the same time:

- Then, I won't have any need to use the Byakugan for fighting with the Gentle Fist! And I can fight for longer periods of time! Also, with my chakra control, I can use my new techniques more confidently!

Ryuuza's smile wasn't ever erased from his face. _This girl is as eager as Naruto. I guess they're actually meant for the other. The Elder Toad Sage was right, after all._ He replied, nodding:

- Remember that, every time you raise your physical and/or spiritual chakra, you must re-establish the flux of natural chakra and stand in balance. You can go down and play for a while with Naruto-chan now. Now that you can reach the Sage Mode on your own, you can train with Naruto, and you two can come back for more extensive training with us.

Hinata jumped out of the stalagmite field, reaching Ryuuza's side, smiling and bowing at him:

- Sure we will! Thanks a lot, boss Ryuuza!

After this, the girl ran to Naruto:

- Naruto-kun! I made it!

Naruto noticed Hinata's new navy-blue eyelids and smiled, excited:

- Hinata-chan! You've reached the Sage Mode!

- Yes! I'm so eager to train with you like this, Naruto-kun!

- Come here! I'll show you the Sage fighting style!

After two hours of watching and imitating the body movements for attack, defense and displacement, Naruto and Hinata still kept in the Sage Mode with the actual activity, all while they spoke:

- Naruto-kun, did you get beaten in the head so many times when you trained this for the first time?

- Heh, heh, yes, Hinata-chan. – Naruto checked the many bruises on Hinata's head and smiled, teasing: - You've been beaten quite hard, actually. You were going to become a pretty pearl-eyed dragoness!

Hinata felt the blush reach her face, but still that wasn't enough to get her out of focus from her Sage Mode. She felt that this particular fighting style fit perfectly with her muscle memory, and she realized that her body learned much faster while in this mode. She tried to mix it with her dancing Taijutsu style, obtaining a more graceful, flexible and effective combat style. Then she did what Naruto was doing, mixing her new fighting style with her Water chakra, and felt that she could endure fighting like that for hours, with no need of food pills. Naruto watched her graceful and stunning movements, remembering that second time at the waterfall, and blushing as he did. He just could say:

- You're just beautiful…

Hinata's blush turned red-wine, but she simply ran towards Naruto and made him dance with her. Naruto studied her movements in detail, and he started realizing too that he adapted to her dancing quite much easier while in Sage Mode. He felt those movements like natural now, and then he finally noticed what made her so agile and full of grace: her feet rotation was perfect. He said:

- You've got to show me how to move like that, Hinata-chan.

Hinata giggled sweetly and kissed Naruto's lips. Then, she asked him to follow his steps, as she showed him her feet rotation.

After some more hours, they were in the ground, completely exhausted. Fukasaku got close to Naruto and said:

- Kid, you lasted for eight hours in your Sage Mode this time. I don't know if you do this just to impress Hinata-chan, or if she's actually making some good to you, but you're actually surprising me. The last time you came you couldn't stay like that for more than three hours.

Ryuuza said, making a sign to Aoryuu, who was watching the training so far with Gamakichi:

- Hinata-chan lasted for four hours, and she learned how to access the Sage Mode as fast as Naruto-chan.

Aoryuu carried Hinata gently, as Gamakichi proceeded to carry Naruto. The red-orange toad asked:

- Hey, how about eating something?

- Sure! I'm getting hungry and tired just by seeing the kids' training! – Aoryuu answered, glancing at Gamakichi.

Fukasaku glared at Ryuuza with satisfaction in his expression, and both nodded. The toad said:

- Well, kids, you've done an excellent job. You've got the rest of the day off. We're leaving.

The toad and the dragon elders left the place quietly. Aoryuu saw Hinata and said:

- Hinata-chan, let's go have something to eat with the guys.

Hinata nodded, exhausted, and Naruto said, with low energy:

- Let's go now, I'm hungry.

Gamakichi took Naruto, leaping, while Aoryuu carried Hinata, squirming happily in the air. As they reached a restaurant that Naruto didn't know about at all, Aoryuu said:

- Well, prepare yourselves to taste the most delightful fruits of the seas' kingdom.

Naruto frowned, knowing what was coming. Hinata did the same, as she actually _hated_ seafood. Aoryuu got to the table with four large dishes, full of fish, shrimp and shellfish, served in a great soup, with rice and noodles. Gamakichi ate his food in three bites, so as the excited Aoryuu. Hinata whispered to Naruto:

- N-Naruto-kun… I-I don't like… s-seafood…

Naruto whispered back, also quite disturbed:

- I hate this food too… but we have to eat it…

Hinata swallowed deep. She saw Naruto cover his eyes with his headband and she did so too. Then they both took their dishes and ate without even trying to savor the food. Of course, the taste was horrible, but, as they finished, they felt completely renewed… and full. After being almost an hour making digestion, talking and joking, Gamakichi saw how the kids stood up, full of energy and vitality. He said:

- Well, kids, you've got the day off. You can do as you please.

Naruto jumped of joy, saying farewell to Gamakichi and Aoryuu and taking the hand of a happy Hinata. Hinata said farewell to both the toad and the dragon and ran with Naruto to a mountain. Aoryuu saw them leave and said to Gamakichi:

- These two are just uncorrectable, right?

- Sure as hell; that's why we like them, not?

- Yes, it is. By the way - The blue-scaled dragon asked with a curious look: -, where are they going?

- They'll surely go for a walk together. You've never had a girlfriend, Aoryuu?

- Ehm, no… what's a 'girlfriend'?

Gamakichi sighed and watched the young dragon with amused eyes:

- Well, me neither, but come on. Let's go see the kids and see how to deal with a girlfriend. But we shall not interrupt.

Aoryuu's eyes shined:

- Understood!

The two friends walked, following the route taken by Naruto and Hinata stealthily.

As they reached the mountain, Naruto sat close to a stone, laying his back on it. Hinata sat beside him, laying her head on his shoulder. They both watched the sunset in that place, and that surely was a fascinating view to remember. Hinata, happily blushed, saw Naruto's blue eyes after the sun's fall to the west, while he kissed her lips tenderly, also blushed. Naruto pulled Hinata softly, sitting her in his lap. She ended up facing him, and she put her arms around his neck, as he grabbed her thighs to draw her close to him for a more passionate kiss. Gamakichi and Aoryuu watched the scene like stalkers, taking note of everything they were seeing, and trying to remember every detail. All of a sudden, they saw a familiar figure, and they decided to jump in front of them, yelling quite seriously:

- Stop right there, Akatsuki!

Naruto and Hinata were startled. They actually thought that it could have been a prank, but, as they saw a figure wearing a dark tunic with red clouds, quite familiar to both of them, they jumped to their combat stances. The voice resulted familiar, and quite frightening, even when its tone was rather gentle:

- Good night, Naruto-kun, Hinata-chan.

Naruto couldn't give credit to his eyes. Hinata used her Byakugan to check out the figure, and what she saw scared her completely. The figure asked, smiling gently:

- Surprised, kids?

Naruto pointed at him and yelled in rage:

- You're dead! What are you doing here? YOU'RE DEAD!

Hinata, still shocked, only could stutter:

- B-b-but…

- I know, but it seems I can't rest in peace just yet. – The man opened his eyes: - My stupid little brother is becoming like everyone else in the Clan, just like the goddamn rest of the Clan who wished to use me for overthrowing the Third Hokage; the big jackass is just so sunken in his thirst for revenge that he remembers nothing about himself at all. He's just one more tool for that bastard-

The man stopped his words, took a deep breath, as he noticed he was just turning angry, and said, getting calm again:

- Well, I decided to return here so I can intercede for him, to redeem my name and the ones of my Clan's bastards. – The man, frowning as he said these words again, shed a tear, and Hinata noticed it was a bitter one, as she saw it with the Byakugan: - As long as Sasuke keeps thinking like my parents, my grandparents, and like that bastard of Madara Uchiha, I won't rest in peace.

Hinata whispered Naruto that there was no acting or bluffing in that rage and those tears he was dropping. He replied:

- But, even so, you were dead, Itachi Uchiha… According to that bastard Madara Uchiha, the Aloe Vera guy had disposed of your corpse right after the fight you had with Sasuke.

Itachi, shaking his head 'no', said:

- Yes, I died. But then I talked to the Elder Gods and to the Rikudo Sage. They saved me from sinking in the same hell than the rest of my Clan, and ordered me to stop the Great War between Senju and Uchiha, helping the last and most powerful Senju in a Blood Alliance.

Naruto replied then:

- But the last Senju is dead! The bastard Elders of the Leaf killed her!

Itachi drew a kunai out and cut his hand slowly:

- They promised me the Eternal Rest if I could make Sasuke ally you again; and if both he and I could bring back the Uchiha Clan to life with a new light and no more darkness. So, I came back from the dead, surprising Zetsu and Kisame right before they were about to dispose of my body. – Naruto and Hinata turned to each other, then turning to Itachi, still incredulous: - They both reacted well towards my awakening, and my new mission, deciding to join me. Zetsu has been watching you all this time, even more after the villagers and the Leaf ninjas tried to burn both of you inside your apartment. Kisame has been keeping Madara busy to avoid him from knowing that I'm alive again. They brought me to these lands to hide me, as they knew that we three should meet here sometime.

Naruto, still skeptical, asked:

- And, why do you want to see me? Else, how can I make sure that none of you will try to capture me and take me to that immortal bastard?

Itachi offered his bleeding hand to Naruto and said:

- I want to establish a Blood and Chakra Alliance with you and with Hinata Hyuuga too; an alliance in the name of the Senju, or Uzumaki, as you wish to call it, the Hyuuga and the Uchiha Clans. You must bring your Clan back to life, Naruto-kun, and rule over the Hidden Leaf Village. Hinata-chan, you must rescue your Clan before they become as dark as the Uchiha bastards, and also rule the Hidden Leaf with Naruto-kun. You can count on your cousin Neji to rescue your family. I must rescue my brother Sasuke and bring him to the real light, and eliminate Madara Uchiha before restoring my Clan.

Naruto watched Itachi, quite shocked, and shedding a tear. _So, after all, granny Tsunade was actually my family..._ Hinata asked:

- And, what if Sasuke sees turning into another Madara Uchiha as a… as a goal?

Itachi lowered his sight and said:

- Then I shall have to wipe out the Uchihas from this land, and be myself the one who restores the Clan into a new light. My path to the Eternal Rest will be a lot tougher if Sasuke needs to be put down, but at least the new Uchiha lineage will grow over a base of real freedom, love and realization in all the levels, and not over pain, fear and endless ambition.

Naruto, noticing the change in Itachi's expression, took a kunai of his own and cut his hand. Hinata did so too, and then the three channeled their respective Air, Water and Fire chakras through their pouring blood. After putting the three bloody hand prints together on the floor, they took hands, crossing their arms in front of themselves to gather each other's hands, and then they saw that three rings appeared in their right ringfingers, materialized from the pool of chakra. Naruto had a light blue ring that had the word "Air" (kaze: 風) incrusted in it, made of lapis. Hinata had a navy blue ring that had the word "Water" (mizu: 水) incrusted in it, made of sapphire. Itachi had a red ring that had the word "Fire" (hi (that 'i' is pronounced 'ee'): 火) incrusted in it, made of ruby. Naruto also noticed that Itachi didn't wear the Akatsuki ring anymore, and said:

- So, our mission is to save Sasuke from himself.

Hinata completed:

- And avoid Madara Uchiha from using him for his own goals.

Itachi continued:

- That's only the first part of our mission, kids. As Hidden Leaf ninjas we are, we still have lots of things to do before we can actually achieve a long-lasting peace. – As seeing the grin in Naruto's face, and the serious look on Hinata's eyes, he took off the Akatsuki tunic, burning it with his Fireball technique, revealing his dark gray shirt with the red-and-white fan symbol in his back, and his black pants. He said, smiling gently again:

- I shall call Kisame and Zetsu, so they know that we can actually move freely now. I'll see you in four days in the Island of Ice. We shall plan there what to do when you have to meet Sasuke and Madara again in the Hidden Sand Village. Zetsu has informed me of everything already. – Itachi saw Naruto and said: - And tell Kyuubi that she can be calm; we won't allow Madara take her, or harm her. North coast of the Island of Ice, in four days, at the dusk hour; don't forget. See you there.

Itachi disappeared in a smoke cloud, after making some hand signs and using some of the blood in his still wounded hand. Gamakichi and Aoryuu watched Naruto and Hinata with concern, but the two teenagers were calm and content. Naruto said:

- I was right about him after all… he **did** want to help his brother as badly as I did, as he said to me that day…

Hinata kissed his lips softly, and then both left, handheld, followed by Aoryuu and Gamakichi. This was such a turn of events for them, and perhaps a fruitful one, if everything ran smoothly.

End of Chapter 22.

A/N: I've had this crazy idea about Itachi, so I hope you enjoy it. Please review! =)


	23. Chapter 23: Alliances in the Ice

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. **

Chapter 23: Alliances in the Ice.

Four more days of harsh training became greatly fruitful. Hinata was already able to control the Sage Mode at will, and had created new techniques with Naruto; even when they still had to work a lot on them, they seemed quite promising and powerful.

Now, the two youngsters were meeting the Elder Toad Sage, accompanied by Gamakichi and Aoryuu. The toad and the dragon felt nostalgic, because the young shinobi had to get back to their mission, and they've had a lot of fun with them. Naruto and Hinata wore the white cloaks while they said their farewell to the toad and the dragon. Hinata said:

- Well, be warned. Try to get some warm and heavy clothes, just in case we call for you.

Naruto, teasing, said:

- Heh, heh, I'm sure you can call for an Ice Dragon, but, as far as I know, there are no Ice Toads.

Hinata and Aoryuu laughed soundly, and Gamakichi, playing upset, claimed:

- There are Ice Toads!!

After that, the whole group laughed. Naruto said, as both he and Hinata bit their fingertips:

- Well, anyways, we'll see you soon!

The humans armed their respective hand seals, with the blood drops in their thumbs, and then they vanished in a smoke cloud. The Elder Toad Sage said, smiling calmly:

- These youngsters are quite full of energy. It's good to have them around.

Gamakichi and Aoryuu nodded, smiling merrily.

Naruto and Hinata appeared in the Island of Ice, an island fully covered in snow and ice, with a pine forest and a couple of small hills close to the west. They checked out their map and also checked out Naruto's compass. Hianta said:

- W-W-We a-ap-p-peared t-to t-t-the e-e-east, N-Na-Naruto-k-kun…

Naruto noticed that Hinata was terribly cold and hugged her, heating her as he his hands up and down her back delicately. He then asked Kyuubi:

- Hey, Kyuubi… could I ask you a favor?

- Of course, kid.

Kyuubi was smiling to Naruto. He still couldn't get used to that image, but it felt good to see the smiling fox instead of a grin full of killer intent. He just asked:

- Could you help Hinata-chan and me to keep warm as we get to the north of the island?

- It should be the least I could do for you, kid, but…

Naruto noticed Kyuubi's concern:

- Tell me, Kyuubi.

- Are you sure you actually want to meet Itachi and his people?

Naruto smiled, understanding her concern, and replied quietly:

- We can trust Itachi, Kyuubi. On the other hand, I want to see by myself what's with the fish-man and the Aloe Vera guy.

Kyuubi couldn't suppress laughter and replied:

- Ha, ha, ha, ha! Even you put nicknames to them! – Kyuubi sighed after some seconds of laughter, and said: Well, that's fine! Let's go!

Naruto woke up, and both he and Hinata felt the heat from Kyuubi's chakra. Hinata, more relieved, whispered to her:

- Thank you, lady Kyuubi…

Both teenagers heard the voice of the legendary demon:

- Hurry up, Hinata, Naruto. It's two hours before the dusk, and sure as hell the weather will plummet for that moment.

After a half an hour running, they ran past a village, at high speed, handheld. Normally, no one could have recognized them with the large white cloaks, but some inquiring eyes recognized them with pure luck:

- That red chakra again! And now it covers two people!

The young watchman made his surveillance round, as every evening. His dark brown hair fell to the sides of his face, covering his ears from the cold. A headband with no marks covered his forehead, and his body was covered by a heavy, gray cloak. His lavender eyes were surrounded by sprouting veins, identifying him as a member of the Clan Hyuuga, and also indicating that he was using the Clan's bloodline trait. These pale eyes scanned the running couple, watching, quite stumped, how this **so familiar** red chakra came out from one of them, covering the couple from the bitter cold of that day. _It can't be that they are here…_Surprised, he decided to follow them.

The cold took its toll on the young Hyuuga, and he felt how the two strangely familiar white-cloaked figures ran further away from him. He stopped to take a sip of wine from his bottle, and he continued on the run, trying to reach them and confirm his suspicions.

Naruto and Hinata made it to the meeting point, and they saw the expected trio arrive in a boat. The stalker, hidden from them, watched them, confirming his suspicions. The couple noticed that the trio wore white cloaks too, instead of the usual black tunics with red clouds. Contributing to the stalker's surprise, the trio revealed their faces, and he recognized them as members of Akatsuki: one who was thought to be dead, one with a large sword covered in bandages, and one whose face only showed up when he opened a weird plant-like appendix that covered the high part of his body. What made the stalker feel strange (well, even more if possible) was that the couple got close to them willingly; that's why he decided to act, jumping towards them with aggressive intent.

Naruto and Hinata, watching Itachi's partners still with reserves, saluted the Uchiha. As Naruto and Itachi started shaking hands, they felt how their hands were split up with a hand slap. The whole group saw how Neji Hyuuga stood between Naruto and Itachi, willing to kill the Akatsuki:

- What the hell do you think you are doing?!?!

Naruto said:

- Relax, Neji, they're our allies-

Neji turned to Naruto in a blink, attacking him. The blond ninja ended up barely evading the attacks, but not a single blow from Neji hit the Nine-Tails' host. Hinata attacked Neji with a single blow, blocking the whole chakra circulatory system of the Hyuuga bodyguard. Neji, surprised, asked:

- But… Hinata…?

- Neji, listen to me! – Hinata spoke with authority: - Kakashi and the rest of our group will reach this island in a few days by sea! We shall meet here, and our _new allies_ will mett them to combat Madara Uchiha, and Danzou, if they wish to!

Naruto, catching his breath, said:

- It's all okay, Neji. Trust us.

Neji agreed, resigned. Naruto, glaring at Itachi, said, a bit nervous, as he rubbed his hair with a hand:

- I-I'm sorry, Itachi. We didn't expect this to happen.

Kisame laughed, and Itachi smiled:

- Neither did us, Naruto-kun.

Zetsu opened his carnivorous-plant appendix, and his black half spoke first:

- Isn't this the brat who called us "Aloe Vera"?

The white half answered:

- Yes… it's him… the Nine-Tails' host.

Kisame, still laughing, said:

- Well, well, we're seeing each other again, kid.

Itachi said:

- Very well. How about we go to a less cold place? Neji can come with us. That way, with two Byakugan and the help from Kyuubi, you can see if any of us is lying or trying to deceive any of you, Naruto.

Hinata reactivated Neji's chakra circulatory system and Naruto asked:

- I accept, Itachi. Neji, could you please take us to any decent restaurant in the village?

Neji nodded and led the way, running.

As they reached the village, it was already night time. Neji led them to a restaurant, and they all covered their faced with their cloaks. As they occupied a table, Neji called for a waiter, and he offered them the menu. They all chose their meals for the dinner, and Neji ordered. As they waited, Itachi said:

- You already know the motives I have for helping you, Naruto-kun… I **also** wish to rescue Sasuke from himself, and the Advisor Elders of the Hidden Leaf are corrupt. Also, Danzou profaned the corpse of my best friend to place his Sharingan in one of his eyes. And then, he gathered a Byakugan already stolen from your Clan, Hinata-chan.

Neji was surprised to hear that part of Danzou's story, as he didn't actually know of it. _So that's the Sixth Hokage, the one who framed us with the death of Lady Tsunade._ Kisame spoke, revealing that also he got rid of his Akatsuki ring:

- I'm quite disappointed from Akatsuki, even more when I realized that the leader was Madara Uchiha. He was the Fourth Mizukage, the one who betrayed me.

Kisame frowned, seeing that the food was arriving. Naruto and Hinata asked at the same time, whispering after the waiter left:

- Madara Uchiha _was_ the Mizukage?!

- Yes. That damn bastard sent me to an S-class mission: to find out the identity of the separatist faction's leader in the Hidden Rain Village. Yahiko was still alive for that time, and I met him, so as Nagato and Konan. Danzou, that son of a–

Kisame took a glass of water and took a sip, swallowing the word he was about to release before continuing:

- Well, Danzou, who was allied with the Rain Village leader, Hanzou, discovered me and wanted to kill me… and he almost achieved it. The worst of it all was that I couldn't avoid Yahiko's death. He was a really nice guy; he thought and behaved like you, Naruto.

Naruto lowered his sight, remembering Nagato and Konan, and also remembering Jiraiya himself. Kisame continued:

- After that big failure, when I came back to the Hidden Mist Village, that bastard Uchiha, no offense - He turned to Itachi, and he nodded: -, had betrayed me, using my absence to turn me into an S-class missing-nin without me being notified. Lots of ANBU tried to slay me, but I cold get past them; and several years later I met Itachi. As I saw him die by Sasuke's hands, and after that seeing him revive before Zetsu started disposing of his corpse, I learned that Madara Uchiha was also the leader of Akatsuki. I didn't believe it in the beginning, but I found that out on my own, deciding to take sides with Itachi against that immortal disgrace. That jackass deserves to be put down.

Naruto noticed the anger accumulated behind the sharp teeth of Kisame, who took the food he ordered: salmon, and bit it with fierceness. Hinata saw that his eyes showed loads of impotence, and Neji noticed how the sword master was struggling with himself to not let his anger loose. Itachi put a hand on Kisame's shoulder, and he relaxed, still feeling upset. Naruto said:

- Well, and I guess you had to capture the Eight-Tails to avoid suspicion.

Kisame nodded while eating the salmon. Itachi, Naruto, Hinata and Neji were eating too, and Zetsu's white half spoke then:

- My Clan was the most recognized one of the whole Hidden Grass Village. We were the best explorers and information gatherers, and I had three or four years less than you kids when, nineteen years ago, the Six-Tailed Beast attacked my village.

Naruto and Hinata understood, and the black Zetsu spoke:

- We dealt with the Rokubi sometimes, but it was being controlled by something else… My Clan, before being annihilated, commanded me the mission of searching the person who controlled the Six-Tails. I found him, and I infiltrated his organization. His name was Madara Uchiha, and I confirmed that it was him when I saw him control the Nine-Tails with his Doujutsu to attack the Hidden Leaf Village, seventeen years ago. I learned all what I could from his organization, and from him. I couldn't even believe that the other members of Akatsuki were so uninterested in knowing abut him; and the few ones who actually knew a thing about him admired him, following him with no second thoughts. When I met Itachi, I saw that he knew that the leader was the Uchiha immortal, and also I saw that he felt regret towards him. When he died and came back to life, he asked me to watch your back, as he couldn't allow Madara to fulfill his goal and wreak havoc on the world.

The white Zetsu replied:

- After Nagato's demise, I recognized your strength, Naruto Uzumaki. Even now I still keep in touch with Konan, and she's willing to assist us.

Naruto, after hearing Konan's name, turned very happy:

- Is Konan fine?

- Sure – The white Zetsu assured: -. She will join our plan to defeat Madara, and will help you defeat Danzou.

The black Zetsu said:

- I've got nothing against that man, but he's still a bastard. Count me in.

Kisame said:

- I still need to avenge Yahiko's death, and the murder attempts against me, so I'm in.

Itachi, seeing the three young renegades, said:

- You will bring the real dawn to this Ninja world, the real _**Akatsuki**_, so you can count on me.

As the group finished their meal, Neji said:

- If you promise not to reveal yourselves to the villagers, I can give you shelter until Kakashi's group arrives on their boat.

Itachi bowed to him:

- We really appreciate it.

- Follow me then.

They paid for the food, wearing their cloaks, and left.

Neji guided them to a two-storied house. It wasn't that big, but the upper floor was vacant. He led the group upstairs and said:

- Let me try and warn the group of your presence. It's highly probable that Lee, his town girlfriend and Tenten don't understand at all, so expect for an attack.

The group nodded, taking the cloaks off. The weather was freezing that night, and Zetsu closed a window next to him. Kisame exclaimed:

- Samehada must be freezing… - Sudden breezes made him tremble, and he yelled: - Ah, t-the H-hell! C-close t-that window t-t-too, Zetsu!

Zetsu obeyed immediately, as he also was freezing like hell. Hinata and Naruto hugged each other, sharing their heat, and Itachi saw two enraged figures kick the door of that room, both wearing gray coats. The man had round, black eyes; black hair cut like with a bowl, and wore green spandex under the large coat. The girl had white, double-braided hair, the two braids quite long. Her eyes were light blue, and she wore a grayish-blue shirt and light blue pants. The guy yelled, holding Naruto's coat, and with his eyes in flames:

- Naruto-kun!! Are you crazy?! You invest your flames of youth in helping those traitors!!

Itachi's group sweated a large drop, while Hinata giggled to his reaction, and Naruto saluted:

- Hey, fuzzy brows! Mind telling me what's that of you having a girlfriend?

The guy, noticing that none of the Akatsuki attacked, but instead watched him with weird looks, he asked:

- N-Naruto-kun? Why aren't they fighting?

Naruto explained everything to the arriving couple, as Hinata laughed and the ex-Akatsuki trio looked at him, kind of bored. Rock Lee couldn't give credit to his ears, and, for the moment Neji and Tenten arrived, he saw her say, holding three kunai in each hand:

- So now you're Naruto's allies?!

Neji held her wrists, avoiding her from throwing the kunai. Tenten, quite threatening, said:

- Let go off me, Neji! For the Gods' sa-!

In that moment, Hinata slapped both Lee and Tenten, surprising Neji, Naruto and the three "guests" with her boldness. Tenten and Lee got shocked, and Hinata whispered, blushing furiously _and _pressing her fingertips together after realizing what she did:

- I-If you keep d-doing such a show here, the v-v-villagers will f-find them, and our alliance with th-them w-will go t-t-to hell! Sh-Shut up and l-l-listen!

Naruto and Itachi explained everything again, while Hinata tried to calm down, and the quartet understood. The white-haired girl asked:

- Hey, Lee-kun, isn't this the new guy you wanted to defeat?

Lee noticed that she was looking at Naruto and said, making the "nice guy" pose:

- Yes, Yuki-chan! He is Naruto Uzumaki, my new rival!

The girl jumped to extend her hand towards Naruto, shaking his own with eagerness:

- It's a pleasure to meet a great rival! Mi name is Yuki Fuyu-no! – Turning to a stunned Hinata, she said: - And you must be Hinata Hyuuga, the strongest girl in the whole Clan! Neji speaks a lot about you!

Hinata saw Neji, who smiled awkwardly, and blushed, turning away while answering:

- I-I'm no longer a p-part of _that_ Hyuuga Clan…- Hinata then gathered her courage, and grinned to Yuki, while Naruto saw her, proud: - b-but I'm **strong**!

Naruto smiled, hugging Hinata, and Yuki replied:

- Some day I'd love to fight you! And that way I can measure my real strength!

Itachi, quite bored, turned to Neji, changing his expression to a serious one:

- Neji Hyuuga… let me see your forehead…

The petition was rather blunt for what Neji expected. The Hyuuga guy decided to take off his headband. Itachi detailed the Caged Bird Seal with his Sharingan. All of a sudden, Neji felt a terrible megrim, and Itachi deactivated his Sharingan:

- Your seal was altered, Neji.

- What?! – Neji turned upset: - What do you mean 'altered'?

- It was altered so not only a Main Family Hyuuga could use it. Any Genjutsu specialist, or a mentalist, could be able to activate the seal with not many difficulties.

Neji still couldn't believe Itachi's words, but Kisame replied, watching the seal and reassuring the statement:

- Apparently this change was made with a lot of subtlety. It was made while you weren't noticing it, Neji. Perhaps while you were asleep.

Neji fell hard on his knees, enraged and impotent. _Screw them! They made me weaker every time!_ Itachi said:

- If you allow me, I think I can delete the seal, but it will cause you a lot of pain. If we start now, perhaps for tomorrow night we'll be done. I shall need all the help you can give me.

Lee jumped:

- Immediately! Let's help Neji!

The rest of the group agreed, with less energy, as Itachi and Kisame started checking the seal on Neji's forehead.

End of Chapter 23.


	24. Chapter 24: The New Feudal Lord

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto at all… but I'm planning to overthrow Kishimoto-san if this story comes out as good as the few loyal readers and re****viewers support me XD**

Chapter 24: The New Feudal Lord.

A convoy of some Wind Country's desert peregrines had the Hidden Sand Village in sight. They had camels carrying the cars they were traveling in; the cars were covered with heavy, white clothes to avoid themselves be _so_ dried up by the sun of the noon. The convoy's water was carried stealthily, to avoid other convoys, or desert raiders from stealing it. As they reached the gates of the Village, one of the peregrines made a sign to the gates' watchmen and they opened the doors, allowing a beige-tunic dressed man enter the village, carrying a beige-colored backpack on his back.

The man ran to the Kazekage's office. The guards saw a document shown by him, with the seal of the Fire Country, and let the cloaked man in, after warning Gaara:

- Lord Kazekage, an emissary of the Feudal Lord has arrived.

Gaara was quite alerted with these words. _So this is the guy…_ He drew sand to his feet, stealthily covering the floor area around his desk with sand. Then, he said:

- Let him in.

The cloaked man showed himself to the Kazekage, taking his hood off. He wouldn't be on his twenties yet, his brown hair and his grey eyes reflected extreme exhaustion and also fear. He opened his backpack and took a scroll out of it, sealed with the Fire Country's seal:

- Lord Kazekage, I'm sorry for the delay. I couldn't head out in time from the castle, and I'm here with a five-day delay.

Gaara, certainly not trusting the guy in front of him, asked:

- I was informed that you wee poisoned… and, what is that scroll? Read it.

The guy opened it and read:

- "This letter is directed to the Fifth Kazekage: Gaara Sabaku-no. I use this scroll to inform you of my arrival to the Hidden Sand Village. I've been hiding in peregrine convoys to avoid attracting attention from the Leaf's ANBU Root. I wish an audience with you alone. Yours truly, Toshihiro Shukka, Fire Country's Feudal Lord."

Gaara asked to check the letter out and compared it to something he had in his desk, between the almost-infinite papers. As he actually recognized that this second letter's calligraphy was no more than a cheap copy, he saw him with scanning eyes. _He was right to make his arrival unnoticed. I must act fast._ Gaara said:

- Let mister Shukka in at once.

The guy bowed before him and said:

- Thanks for receiving me, Lord Kazekage. I'm so sorry about the delay.

- You still haven't explained this – Gaara showed the young man a letter he had between his papers, a letter that had the seal of the Fire Country, and replied: -. _If_ you're Toshihiro Shukka, then you are dead.

The man bowed and saw how the sand was covering his feet menacingly. Gaara continued:

- You haven't showed any of the signs I asked you for recognizing you, so I suspect you're a spy…. And you're a mediocre one, for being so far in ANBU Root…

- That second letter you show me was written in a cryptic code. Apparently you didn't figure the code out. – The guy tried not to lose his temper.

- There was no encryption code in it at all; we double-checked all the world's codes, and there was nothing; so I must say that's a bluff… and a clumsy one, by the way.

The guy swallowed deep, nervous, as the sand pressed his feet with strength. After a groan of pain, he heard from Gaara:

- Who's your boss? Talk!

- AAAARGH!! I'M THE FIRE COUNTRY'S F-!!

- You're an agent of Danzou! Say it!

The commanding voice of Gaara and the sand crushing his feet made him realize he screwed the mission, so he decided to talk, choking himself with the chakra poison he had in his chakra points, dying in few seconds. In that moment the door was slammed open, and Kankurou, watching the scene, asked:

- What the hell was wrong here?

- A Root agent tried to act as the Fire's Feudal Lord.

- I'll command some people to take him.

- And bring the Fire Feudal Lord too. Now he'll be safe.

Kankurou nodded, leaving the office, and then two Jounin medic ninjas arrived, taking the corpse for further analysis. A few seconds after retiring the corpse, a tanned skin, light-brown-haired and amber-eyed young man entered the office. He was scared, even when he felt a bit relieved as he saw the corpse being taken away. He said:

- Y-you don't know how much I-I appreciate this audience, lord Kazekage.

- Lord Shukka, please, close the door and speak at once.

As the young Feudal Lord sat down, Gaara armed seals, and a white-shining sand coat covered walls, doors and windows, so as the floor and the ceiling, without impeding the circulation of air. The tanned guy spoke:

- I'm really thankful for all this. – He took a breath, seeing how serious Gaara had turned, and said: - Well, my father, Kaitou Shukka, was my country's former Feudal Lord, and I take it you knew him.

Gaara nodded, and Toshihiro continued:

- After a meeting with the Advisor Elders of the Hidden Leaf, he ended up dead by poisoning. Then I learned of the death of Tsunade the Sannin, dead the same way.

Gaara listened quietly; none of this was new for him:

- I decided to take the place of my father, because the Advisor Elders and the new Hokage plotted to plant a puppet Feudal Lord, and ensure that the Hidden Leaf could manage up to the ninety percent of the country's resources at their will.

This alerted the emotionless Gaara. Toshihiro continued:

- As I've denied granting them their excessive petitions, now they try to kill me and replace me with no one noticing the change. And that's why I've come.

Gaara planted:

- I guess you want protection and safety in exchange of resources.

Toshihiro replied:

- Actually, I want to establish an agreement with the Hidden Sand Village. I'm decided to reduce the emission of contracts for missions to the Hidden Leaf in a fifty percent. The other fifty percent, including their respective payments, will contain, mostly, B-rank, A-rank and S-rank missions. That income could help your village gather the strength and improve your forces and your defenses for this upcoming war. In exchange, I want that my new Twelve Shinobi Guard is conformed by Sand Ninjas. I've already spoken to the Wind Country's Feudal Lord, and he approved my decision.

Toshihiro drew a document, signed by the Wind's Feudal Lord, and sealed with the Wind Country's seal. Gaara read it and said:

- Yes, it's all correct. We shall meet with the Sand's Elders' Council and discuss with them about it; if they agree, we shall recruit the Twelve Guardians immediately.

- And, when will the meeting be?

- Tonight, after the dusk.

- I'll be here at that time.

- You can star in the room number six, at the building in front of this one. A trustful Leaf's missing-nin shall take care of you.

Toshihiro bowed before the Kazekage, withdrawing from the office, and heading for the other building. When he arrived to the room six, he knocked the door, finding a dark-haired, red-eyed beautiful woman with a baby on his arms at the other side of the door. She recognized him:

- You are… the Feudal Lord's son…

- Actually, I am the new Feudal Lord. Mi father was poisoned by the Leaf's Elders. Weren't you lord Asuma's wife?

Kurenai nodded, quite hurt. Toshihiro laid a hand on her shoulder and said:

- I'm really sorry. He was a very good man; actually, he was the best one of the Twelve.

Kurenai let tears fall from her eyes, and sobbed:

- T-thank you. I-I'm also sorry f-for your father. He was… a good man, and a great governor.

- Thank you.

Kurenai let the man in and put the baby on the couch; then she received a hug from Toshihiro, and they stayed there, hugging each other, until she stopped crying. After that, they started playing with Kurenai's baby, and when the meeting time had arrived, he said farewell, heading towards the Kazekage's building. Kurenai said:

- I want to be one of your Twelve Shinobi Guardians, Toshihiro.

Toshihiro shook his head and said, still a bit doubtful:

- But, you have your son, and Master Asuma's son…

- Asuma won't forgive me if I-

- Enough, Kurenai Yuuhi – Toshihiro's voice was serious. He said then: -. Only when your son is capable of taking care of himself, you could join us. Else, the Twelve of the Leaf won't let him be alone. But first, make sure he knows all he can about his father, and make him admire him for who he really was… – He took the baby, staring at his eyes: - He will be a great ninja, like both his father and his mother. Raise him as such, not forgetting to teach him the right things, and he will be even better than you two – He returned the baby to his mother and said: - Don't make the same mistake as Asuma.

Kurenai nodded, and Toshihiro left.

Once more, the Fire's Feudal Lord was with Gaara in the Kazekage's office. Gaara guided him then to the conference room of the Elders' Council, where the six elders waited. The first one had both his head and his eyes bandaged:

- Kazekage, Fire Country's Feudal Lord. Welcome.

Toshihiro bowed and said:

- You can address me for my name: Toshihiro Shukka.

This first elder said:

- The young Gaara told us about the possibility of an alliance between our village and your country.

- That is correct, sir.

- Could you be so kind to explain the Elders' Council why do you wish to withdraw part of the support you usually give to the Hidden Leaf to hand it to us?

Toshihiro saw the speaking elder and said:

- My life and my land are in danger, and the Leaf is our threat. I cannot withdraw all of the monetary and resource support given to the Leaf, even when I want to, but they command me to throw the rest of the country to the hell for just financing their warfare and their fighting ranks. I cannot handle a war in this moment, and I cannot also allow that my father's great efforts get crumbled by the ambition of a conflict-thirsty old fox.

A beige-haired, black-hated and black-dressed woman said, placing her glasses in her eyes:

- You're getting us into a war with the Hidden Leaf for your security.

Toshihiro replied immediately:

- Even if I do this or not, war will come at your doors, so as it has come to the Hidden Villages of Mist, Rock and Cloud. Also, I am aware of your alliances to those three villages. On the other hand, I know that you're gathering the Twelve of the Leaf, and with them the last Jinchuuriki alive. And I know that, with this Jinchuuriki, many fruitful alliances will come up for you for sure.

A third elder, with white hair and green eyes, spoke:

- Certanly, the trading contract with the prosperous Hidden Leaf Village was shut since Danzou took the power. They've already attacked the Hidden Cloud, damaging their borders and reducing their defenses. Having the Fire Country's Feudal Lord wanting to help us with money and resources to weaken his enemies works for us, now that we have no allegiance with the Leaf.

Gaara asked:

- Then, is there an agreement?

The six elders gathered, and after debating quietly, they spoke at the same time:

- We shall sign the pact, but we must be extremely careful, so this cannot be discovered by the Leaf.

Gaara nodded and Toshihiro relaxed, bowing before the elders. _Now I could do my part to stand against that bastard Danzou and his bastard elders._

End of Chapter 24.

A/N: I know, a short one this time. But I guess it should be quite an interesting one too, so enjoy, and don't forget to review.


	25. Chapter 25: Frozen Armies

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters.**** If I did, some of them would've died long ago.**

A/N: Things I should have told about the chapter 23, and that I completely forgot: First of all, for those who don't know yet, Akatsuki (暁) means "dawn"; and Lee's girlfriend's name (who, by the way, it's another OC of mine) is, as spelled in Japanese, Fuyu no Yuki (冬の雪), that should mean something like "snow of the winter". Anyways, here's another new chapter for you all.

Chapter 25: Frozen Armies.

Three days later, the Akimichi ship finally arrived to a snowy island. They reached a frozen dock close to a medium-sized village. Chouji could see Naruto and Hinata waiting in the dock, covered in white jackets, and he blew the ship's horn to salute them, while Asumi raised the Akimichi Clan's flag: a beige flag with the word "Food" (shoku = 食) written in red and enclosed in a red circumference. Chouji noticed then that there were three more figures behind them, totally covered in white robes; and asked Kakashi, who glared at the sea in the rear of the deck:

- Hey, master Kakashi, who are those behind Naruto and Hinata?

Kakashi saw the three figures and he didn't like something about them. He uncovered his left eye and glared at them with his Sharingan, getting shocked. _What in the hell are Naruto and Hinata doing with __them_?_ What about Neji and the others? Else, why are they so calm around them?_ He said:

- Stay on guard, I'll tell the others.

Chouji and Asumi understood that this wasn't a good thing, and they stopped in the dock, lowering the anchor. Kakashi got to the deck with the rest of the group while Naruto, Hinata and the trio got close to greet them. Naruto spoke:

- Master Kakashi! Chouji! Guys! We thought you'd never make it!

Yamato, recognizing the figures escorting Naruto, asked:

- And who are they? They're not Neji, Lee and Tenten for sure.

Naruto, laughing nervously, replied, as he took his hands to his hair:

- Heh, heh, heh, Neji's doing his watch shift around the village, Lee and his girlfriend Yuki train Taijutsu in the frozen lake and Tenten is practicing with her weapons in the house's basement. There three guys are our new allies. Show yourselves.

The group saw, completely shocked, how Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshigaki and the mysterious Zetsu showed up. The three of them had gotten rid of their Akatsuki's power rings, and now they dressed with heavy white jackets, instead of the black tunics with the red cloud designs. Kakashi couldn't give credit to his eyes, neither could Sakura. Yamato, still skeptical, asked:

- Naruto, they are members of Akatsuki. How can you call them "allies" if they **obey** Madara Uchiha?

- Not anymore – Kisame's voice was accompanied by a grin that revealed his pointy shark-like teeth: -. Itachi came back to life to save his little brother from himself, and we've been fed up of that Uchiha.

The black Zetsu spoke first:

- That's why we joined the one who shares our objectives, with no regrets.

The white Zetsu spoke then:

- And now we shall defeat Danzou and Madara Uchiha.

Itachi showed his new red ring to the arriving group:

- Hinata-chan, Naruto-kun and I have made a Blood and Chakra Pact between our three pacts: Senju, Hyuuga and Uchiha.

Sakura was just shocked to hear Naruto was related to Tsunade and to the First Hokage himself, but Itachi continued:

- We shall rescue our Clans from the misery and we shall bring them back to their splendor in peace. If you want to join us, please suit yourselves.

Shikamaru, being the most skeptical in that group, spoke coldly:

- You _have to_ want something from us in return. Speak your intentions, now.

Then, the trio saw how Shikamaru casted his shadow on them, impeding their movements. Somehow, they didn't even seem to want to move at all, and they seemed quite calm. Itachi replied then, a bit darkly:

- When I save Sasuke from himself, when I defeat Madara Uchiha and when I avenge the profanation that Danzou made of my best friend's corpse… the one I **killed**…

Itachi didn't seem to be proud of saying that, unlike what was rumored within the village; he even looked down as he reminded of Danzou, but then his saddened eyes turned to Shikamaru again:

- Well, I came back to life, after dying by Sasuke's hands; and I don't care how unreal and incredible it might look like, all I know is that I won't be able to rest until I can avoid Sasuke from becoming another Madara Uchiha… I've got the blessing of Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu and Susano'o to draw the Uchiha Clan from the darkness and live a little longer to restore the Clan and then rest in true peace.

Kakashi was just trying to find any sense to Itachi's words. _Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu and Susano'o are the names of the Mangekyou Sharingan's techniques… but are also the names of the three greatest Gods… What the hell can he be talking about?_ Kisame said, meanwhile:

- Madara Uchiha has put Samehada through a lot., and she wants her payback… and Danzou tried to kill me several times when I was young, so I also want my payback… After this, I'll grant the honor of wielding Samehada to a strong, young ninja in the Hidden Mist Village, and perhaps I shall retire, or give sword fighting classes in my Village; I still don't know, but I'm sure I'll withdraw from the business.

The whole group was trying to scan the shark-man's expression, voice tone and gestures; even Kiba tried to smell Kisame at that distance, but nothing showed any kind of bluff or deceiving intent. His voice tone was relaxed, but a bit naïve and bitter, and his eyes didn't change position in any unnatural way. He had no traces of adrenaline that could be perceived by Kiba's keen smell sense. _He's talking the truth, actually._ The black Zetsu spoke:

- I, on the other way, am still looking for any living member of my Clan, and I think I'm about to find a survivor. I know well that Madara still wishes to search and destroy her, and she's looking for her to enslave me. I shall find that woman and I'll fight until I kill Madara Uchiha. Danzou, well, he made Nagato, our leader, lose the way when he joined Akatsuki. I saw him break free when I saw him return all the lives he had taken during the invasion to the Hidden Leaf. If there are such people, capable of corrupting so promising youngsters, Clans and Villages, I shall despise and fight them. And, if there are still people willing to fight them, I shall join them in battle.

The white Zetsu nodded, and Hinata said:

- They abandoned Akatsuki, and we're allies now. We shall need them for the day we meet Madara in the Hidden Sand.

Naruto said:

- And if they can contact Konan, even better. We can count on four quality ninjas to avoid Madara Uchiha feel in control.

Shizune said:

- Four members turning their backs on the Akatsuki… sounds weird and all, but I guess it's a chance we should take. Let's get down of this boat.

The group left the boat and saluted cautiously. Sakura saw Naruto and Hinata sadly, and bowed towards them, greeting them within certain distance. The group walked to the Guy Team's house, and there Kiba, curious, asked Itachi to tell them about his "return to the living". Itachi explained quietly, smiling gently.

_Flashback_

Itachi Uchiha saw how he was sinking, getting away from his body. The hands of the deceased members of the Uchiha Clan were dragging him to the hell, still mad at him due to the fact that he had slaughtered almost them all. He then glanced to the Earth, seeing how Madara was taking Sasuke, realizing that all of his efforts to save Sasuke were vain; making him see the kind of behavior he had to look down on and despise: the general behavior of the Clan members and Madara; eliminating the Heaven Curse Mark from his body, also destroying the remnants of Orochimaru from his body; and granting him the powers to kill Madara Uchiha; all of that was wasted away now. All Itachi could do, regretting his failed effort, was to allow himself to be dragged to the hell, but then a voice he recognized from when he was a child spoke:

- Cousin Itachi! Hold on!

Itachi then saw two silver hands that grabbed his own ones. Then he saw a couple of gold hands that threw flames to the damned Uchihas, and then he saw blue hands that held a halberd, and this weapon severed the limbs that dragged Itachi to the hell. The silver hands raised him upwards, and he ended up in a very enlightened place. Even when his eyes still saw blurry, he could recognize all what he saw. He saw Obito Uchiha, he saw the founder of the Clan Uchiha: Hajime Uchiha, he saw the Rikudo Sage, and then he saw three glowing figures. One was a man dressed in a silver tunic, with gray eyes and white hair. The second one was a strong man with a full plate, blue Japanese-style armor, blue hair and beard, carrying a large halberd in his hands. The third one was a very beautiful woman, blond haired, amber-eyed, and dressed in gold. Her eyes and hair seemed to move like blazing fire, and she irradiated heat. Obito Uchiha spoke first:

- I knew you would make it up here, my young cousin.

Itachi knew Obito well. They used to be training partners, and they shared a lot of time together, playing when the cheerful Uchiha didn't have any missions; but then Obito died, and the Clan marked him as a total failure, when he decided to give his left eye to Kakashi Hatake before he died. That was one of the things that made him snap. Itachi actually smiled warmly when he saw his older cousin, and he said:

- Obito… I'm so glad to speak to you again…

- Me too… but I guess the others want to greet you too, so, we'll talk later.

Itachi saw then the legendary founder of the Clan. The old man was bald and had a rich white beard. He said, smiling gladly:

- I'm glad to see that there are three of us in here, Itachi. I thought my older son had twisted them all, but I'm glad he didn't.

Itachi bowed to the old Hajime Uchiha, and he said:

- You've got talent, kid.

The Rikudo Sage was next. He was beside Hajime Uchiha, and he said:

- I never thought that there would be another Uchiha that was capable of reaching the light, after seeing how it degenerated.

Itachi bowed towards him too. Then, after giving a look to the three powerful, shining figures, he realized who they were. _Tsukiyomi, the watchman of the moon, Amaterasu, the queen of the sun, and Susano'o, the general of the seas and the earth._ Itachi, completely ashamed, kneeled on the floor and bowed to the three gods. Susano'o spoke firmly:

- Itachi Uchiha. Your Clan has twisted everything… Even our sacred names were granted by those bastards to dark and terrible techniques…

Tsukiyomi continued:

- The discovery of the Mangekyou Sharingan, made by the second official leader of the Clan, Madara Uchiha, corrupted the truth behind the true power of the Sharingan: the Hikari Sharingan. You could have obtained, just like Obito, but you ended up driven through the wrong path trying to do the right thing.

Amaterasu replied:

- You are a very noble person, Itachi Uchiha. You have the same human quality that the founder of the Clan: Hajime Uchiha. You died to try rescuing your Clan; and even when your guide was the total darkness, you wanted to take your brother to the light.

Susano'o spoke:

- Why do you fight that much for your younger brother?

Itachi was crying, _crying in shame and joy_, something he thought he'd never ever do again. Sobbing, he replied:

- Because I know that he can change the Clan for good, and give it a new life, if he can come back to the light. I showed him the darkness so he would not follow it, but his thirst for revenge blinded him.

Amaterasu recognized the truth in his words, and also saw that the tears were genuine and bitter. Tsukiyomi, seeing that also, said:

- I was so used to see you in your character that I forgot that you could cry too.

Amaterasu smiled to him, making him feel warm inside:

- But you are speaking with the truth, Itachi. Please, stand up.

Itachi stood up, and the three gods stared at his eyes, making him feel a bit nervous. Susano'o commanded:

- Show your Mangekyou Sharingan to us, Itachi. We shall give it the real Eternal Light, and we shall turn it into a _true_ Sharingan: a Hikari Sharingan.

Itachi saw how the three gods started emanating lights of each of their colors (silver, gold and light blue, respectively) from the center of their foreheads. These three colored lights started bathing Itachi, and after that, an eye appeared in each of the three gods' foreheads, realizing that also there was one on his own brow. Itachi's eye's color was shifting from ochre, brown, olive green and black, but then it started receiving Amaterasu's golden light, then Tsukiyomi's silver light, and then Susano'o's light-bluish light. The three gods noticed how that dark eye swallowed the light voraciously, not changing yet its own color.

Itachi felt how his heart burst out in flames, and after a while, feeling the constant heat surround his whole body, his mind and his heart, he saw smiles in the gods' faces. His eye was turning to the three colors: gold, silver and light blue. Itachi opened his eyes and saw the three gods with complete neatness. Tsukiyomi spoke:

- The power of the Mangekyou Sharingan consumes your body, your sight and your light. We have granted you the light that regenerates the soul and that enlightens the heart.

Amaterasu said:

- The Hikari Sharingan's Tsukiyomi is the dark-mind-blinding illusion. You won't sink the person who faces it into suffering with painful sensations anymore, but you will bring light to his darkened mind, healing it or destroying it, depending how dark that person is. The Hikari Sharingan's Amaterasu will throw gold flames to where your sight aims, and, unlike the dark flames of the Mangekyou's Amaterasu, these are flames that don't consume, but that purify. The darkness and the **fake light **will be purified with these flames.

- The _fake light_, lady Amaterasu? – Itachi was curious.

- Stealing your brother's eyes: Madara Uchiha's artificial light.

Itachi was quite shocked, because he himself was about to do that to Sasuke, even when it was only in appearance. Amaterasu continued:

- At last, the Hikari's Susano'o is a protector, a healer and a fierce warrior. He won't consume your body health in exchange for your protection, but he'll strengthen your soul and make it unbendable, against your enemies and against the darkness.

Susano'o replied:

- You will have the power of Hikari Sharingan, and you will have to teach it to your son, if you wish to rest in peace when you die. If your brother is completely sunken in the darkness, or completely deceived by Madara's fake light, and you consider that he cannot be saved from himself, then you will have to be the one who restores the Uchiha Clan within our light. Even so, if you can actually rescue Sasuke from the darkness, you will be able to live a more peaceful life before you come back to us for your eternal rest.

Itachi bowed again, thanking the three gods. Then, he bowed to the Rikudo Sage, who said:

- Well, kid, it's time for you to do the right thing.

Hajime Uchiha said:

- Now you have the tools, so don't let the darkness consume you.

Obito Uchiha said:

- And take care of Kakashi for me. He's using my Sharingan through the dark path. I need you to show him the light, so I can also rest completely in peace.

Itachi bowed to them all, smiling and crying tears of joy:

- I shall accomplish your commandments, and I'll rescue the Clan from its period of darkness.

The gods sent him back to the Earth just in time. Zetsu, who was starting to dispose of Itachi's corpse, and Kisame, who watched the scene with sadness, jumped in shock when they saw Itachi come back to life, completely sane, smart and with different eyes.

_End of Flashback_

As they reached the village, Neji intercepted them, with his forehead uncovered. Hinata ran to hug him, and Neji returned the gesture, very happy. Naruto said:

- Neji! You're free at last!

Neji knew that Naruto said those things to make the recently arrived ones notice his forehead free of the Caged Bird Seal. Shizune, Yamato and Kakashi were shocked, and Guy threw Hinata aside to hug Neji, who, as usual, felt very uncomfortable:

- Neji!! Your Flames of Youth now will blaze as they had to!! And, where are the others?

Lee, Yuki and Tenten ran towards them, and the first one ran to hug Guy, who threw Neji aside too to hug his step-son, both crying waterfalls of tears:

- Lee!

- Master Guy!

- Lee!!

- Master Guy!!

The scene was repeated for several minutes. Everyone, including Neji, Hinata and Naruto, watched the scene, totally irritated after the first thirty seconds passed. Yuki was the only one blushing, as she saw Rock Lee turn so happy. After a handful of large sweat drops and rushed-out veins in some of the group's heads, Neji stood up, helped by Tenten, and said:

- There's not much time for greetings! There's this small fleet coming to attack the Island! Five ships, with Hidden Leaf flags! I couldn't count how many people they were!

Hinata activated her Byakugan, and after a few seconds, she said, surprising Neji:

- They're too many… and they're not from the Hidden Leaf…

Neji was surprised. _I had to get a bit close to the coast to be able to see the coming boats, but Hinata could not only see the boats from here, but also see the people inside, and their headbands?? That's just amazing!_ Then, both he and Naruto noticed her frightening gesture when she said:

- They are Grass Ninjas!

Zetsu was quite upset. _Now my people had joined Danzou… That's a good incentive to raise my killing intent towards him._ Kisame took his swords and said, glaring at Zetsu and Itachi:

- Let's give them their escape!

- I'm going with you! – Naruto was decided.

- Me too! – Hinata took his hand. Kisame replied:

- I'm afraid you'll have to go back to your group, and keep a low profile. Probably Madara will try and intercept us, and, on the other side, we should pay Konan a visit, so we can wait for you in the Hidden Sand Village.

Hinata, quite resolved, for Neji's amazement, said:

- Tell us how much time it will take you, and we sh-shall warn Gaara! That way, he won't attempt to harm you!

Naruto took a piece of paper and started writing something in it, while Itachi said:

- We can defend ourselves from the Kazekage kid, but we'd rather lay low. Tell him in six days. We shall head to the Hidden Rain Village to speak to Konan.

Naruto gave Itachi the paper, and said, smiling seriously:

- In order to convince Konan, get her this message from me.

- Understood. Now, run to the boat. You must leave.

As they ran towards the Team Guy's home, Hagane said:

- If you wait for us, we shall provide naval support!

The black Zetsu said:

- Good idea, so we can take out the reinforcements in the sea.

In a few minutes, Lee, Yuki, Neji and Tenten packed their stuff and followed the group to the dock. Itachi saw Naruto and Hinata, and showed them how his eye took the form of the Mangekyou Sharingan, but shining in a gold tone that melted with the red iris. Naruto and Hinata waved at him, and then the three ex-Akatsuki left to the northwest, while the group advanced to Chouji's ship.

Chouji used his partial Growth technique to catch the anchor's chain and pull it up from the water, while Sakura used her supernatural strength to rotate the pulley used to wrap the anchor's chain. Naruto and Hinata ran to the lower floor, sitting in the corridor of the rooms as they concentrated themselves, while the rest entered into battle stations under Shikamaru's command. Kakashi looked at him, amazed. _He even knows how to handle himself with tactics and strategy for naval combat… Guess I'll have to play Shougi and Go more regularly._ Naruto ran back to the deck, and everyone noticed that his eyelids turned deep red. He waited until Shino and Maki raised the sails, and then he started to redirect the air masses so they could hit the sails. Hinata, on the lower floor, displaced the water with her dance. Chouji span the wheel, taking the boat to the direction of the battle.

The Hidden Grass army started deploying on the ground, but Zetsu noticed that the way they were deploying was weird. The white Zetsu said:

- This isn't a Hidden Grass army combat formation.

- It's a Hidden Sound army one. – The black Zetsu replied.

- So, Danzou also has allied to the Hidden Sound and the Hidden Grass, tsk, tsk, tsk – Kisame took Samehada, grinning evilly. Itachi pointed to the northeast, and saw a boat that boarded the coast, recognizing the Akimichi flag. He said:

- Our reinforcements have arrived, and not everyone has left the Leaf boats. Let's do this.

Itachi, ready to use his Hikari Sharingan for the first time, created flames in front of the invader ninjas' formation. Meanwhile, Zetsu noticed how the ice melted, turning into water, and Kisame armed hand seals, surprising the shocked Grass Ninjas. Kisame said:

- I'll make you way so you can use your seeds, Zetsu. Let me freeze the first lines a bit.

- Slow and cruel death. You still enjoy sadism, or not, Kisame? – The black Zetsu spoke.

- You'd eat them _alive_, Zetsu, so you're not exactly one to speak.

The water melted by the golden flames advanced, with the trio, forming a great wave that soaked and struck the Grass ninjas. The water was too cold, and the affected ones started to shiver and shake, freezing like hell, as a sudden snowfall started. Zetsu armed hand seals while Kisame took his sword and Itachi ran to the front, deactivating his Amaterasu, but keeping the Sharingan active.

In the boat, Shikamaru had prepared the support for his "ground troops" using Yuki's suggestion of throwing snow and a cold blizzard to the enemy armies. The white-haired girl was focused with the Dog seal armed in her hands, seeing the Grass Ninjas as her eyes turned icy, directing the whole snowstorm to the armies. When she saw Itachi, Kisame and Zetsu start close combat, she stopped her technique.

After seeing the tired girl being caught in her fall by Lee, Shikamaru grinned, yelling:

- Hagane, Yamato. I want you to make holes in the ships' hulls, to force the enemy reinforcements out of them.

Kiba asked:

- Weren't those guys out there all who had come?

Neji replied, with his Byakugan active:

- Those ones out there aren't even the third part of the whole army. Those are the raid group. The Sound Ninjas sent the Grass ones as bait, so they could attack when the ground ones get tired, or killed.

Shikamaru said:

- Kirimaru, I want you to cover them in mist.

Kirimaru nodded, while Hagane and Yamato got prepared. After arming some hand seals, a great mist cloud was released from Kirimaru's mask. Temari, after seeing Shikamaru nod at her, opened her fan and pushed the mist with a large amount of wind, using her fan to impulse it, and using her hands to control the speed of those winds. As they saw that the enemy ships were covered with the rather huge mist cloud, Shikamaru commanded:

- Well, it's time to sink them. The rest of you, get ready to attack any survivor who jumps to the freezing water.

After hearing the command, Naruto stopped, and contacted Hinata with his chakra, telling her to stop either. She returned to the deck and saw how everyone got prepared, some with throwing weapons, some with nets, and some simply watching and focusing chakra. Naruto noticed the navy blue tone in her eyelids and smiled at her, extending her a hand so she would run to his side.

In the battlefield, the snow got deeper, thanks to Yuki's intervention. Itachi fought with a stunning speed, handing a kunai in his right hand and his Sharingan activated. He had killed twenty enemies on his own when he checked on Zetsu. He was already using his Leech Seed Clone technique in the last ranks, and started using his Discharge Seed Clone technique. Clones of white and black half-Zetsus got stuck to enemy ninjas: the white ones sucked their chakra dry, and the black ones discharged chakra in them aggressively. Kisame, releasing Samehada's bandages, fought beside Itachi, with blunt movements that hit and shaved their victims' skins, also stealing their chakras.

At Shikamaru's command, that came out as he saw how the Grass Ninjas were desperately calling for assistance; Yamato started arming hand seals at fast speed. He then stretched his right arm, aiming it at the enemy ships. This arm turned into a huge, thick and pointy wooden spear that pierced the first boat's hull. Hagane also armed hand seals, taking some iron dust from her pockets, and making them get compressed into cannon balls with her chakra. Then, she threw it towards the enemy ships with incredible brute strength, and Sakura watched her, remembering the puppet of the Third Kazekage she had to fight against when she fought Sasori of the Red Sands. The cannon balls broke through all the ships' hulls, and then, with Hagane's hand movements, they returned to her, making even more damage to those ships on their way back. Shikamaru saw the Sound Ninjas attempt to swim in the freezing waters and yelled:

- Leave no one alive!!

A rain of shuriken, kunai, senbon and other weapons turned the seas from blue to blood red between the enemy ships. Naruto and Hinata, after checking that there was no one alive on those sinking boats, turned to the land, and saw Itachi waving an arm to them. They returned the gesture, and went to their job: giving the initial impulse to start the trip towards the Twilight Island. This last island was close from the Hidden Sand Village, and they'd get there in a couple of weeks. Asumi saw Chouji, worried about his frowned expression, which hadn't changed since he met his old friends, hugged him, and kissed his cheek. Chouji returned the gesture, but he was still feeling wrong, and Asumi knew it.

End of Chapter 25.

A/N: This was a long one. Zetsu's skill with the "white seed clones" is taken from Naruto's manga, so it's actually real. The one with the "black seed clones" was actually created by me. Also, the names Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu and Susano'o are the names of the three main gods in the Shintou religion. Enjoy, and please review!


	26. Chapter 26: Dreams of Light and Darkness

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto**** or its charaters.**

Chapter 26: Dreams of Light and Darkness.

Sasuke Uchiha woke up during the night, sweating, shaking and growling desperately, and with his Sharingan activated. He breathed and saw that, beside him, his bed was empty. His habitual roommate was gone, and he didn't like it at all. With his Sharingan activated, he scanned through the darkness of the room, searching for his female partner, but he only could find another couple of Sharingan eyes opening in the middle of the darkness. The voice accompanying those eyes was immediately recognized by Sasuke, driving him in terror:

- Foolish little brother… you're turning to become the exact one thing I wanted you to avoid and despise…

Sasuke realized the mocking tone and gathered courage, smirking:

- Ha! You mean I'm turning to become like you?

The voice turned serious:

- You're becoming another Madara Uchiha…

- Shut up, Itachi-

- No! – The sudden force in Itachi's voice startled the normally impassive Sasuke: - Is you want the true light, don't steal it! Ask for it!

- Why should I care about light at all?! I only exist to avenge and restore the Clan! _You_ turned me this person I am!

Itachi's voice sounded quite depressed and disappointed:

- In less than a year your soul got so corrupted? I shouldn't have given you the Mangekyou Sharingan if I knew this would happen…

- It's too late to mourn; now, stop tormenting me.

Sasuke activated the Mangekyou Sharingan and saw that Itachi's eyes took his own Mangekyou's form, but the black features were now silver-colored, shining, and Sasuke was shocked when he noticed how a brilliant whitish-silver light irradiated from Itachi's body silhouette. The silver light was blinding to the point that caused Sasuke lots of pain, and he ended up taking his hands to cover his eyes, realizing that he was crying black blood, and dropped black bloos through his nose, and he spitted black blood. Itachi's voice said, with a conciliating smile:

- This is the real power of the Uchiha Clan, the power created by the Founder of the Clan, the wise elder Hajime Uchiha. Witness the Hikari Sharingan, my brother.

Sasuke, enraged, didn't know if his fury was caused by the megrim and the aggressive light inside his mind, that superposed over everything he felt and thought, or if it was due to the fact that his brother kept bothering him from the hell, or if it was because of Itachi's smile towards him: a genuine and unique smile, that showed Sasuke feelings that, for him, had been completely forbidden and despised. The megrim rose furiously and Sasuke moaned in terrible pain.

In that moment, he got up from bed, yelling in terrible pain. Karin was right beside him in their shared bed, hugging him and caressing him smoothly, greatly concerned for him. Sasuke's breathing was anxious, and Karin asked:

- Was that Itachi again?

- Yes… yes, Karin, that damn son of a bitch won't let me live…

- Take it easy, please, you already defeated him, and Zetsu disposed of his corpse…

- There's something… something new, about this last dream…

In that moment the room door was opened, and both Juugo and Suigetsu entered the place, seeing their platoon's captain sweat and overnight. Juugo saw him with concern and asked:

- Another nightmare with itachi Uchiha… what did he do now?

Sasuke closed his eyes, crying, and said, out of anger:

- The bastard showed me a Sharingan I've never heard about…

Suigetsu, doubtful, replied:

- A new Sharingan… yeah, that sounds like a bad dream.

- Did he tell you its name?

The group turned towards Madara Uchiha, who showed up with a vortex, and now stared at them from the other side of the bed. Sasuke drew his katana out of the scabbard in a threatening gesture:

- Stop inducing nightmares in me with your damn Sharingan, bastard!

Madara, stepping back, raised his hands and, unintentionally, used his moronic voice:

- W-what are you talking about?! I-I was sleeping just like you, Sa-Sasuke!!

Sasuke activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, using his Amaterasu. Madara Uchiha could barely evade the chasing glare of Sasuke, but not two seconds later his red eye was bleeding. Madara, recovering himself out of fear, said:

- I'm not as stupid as for inducing nightmares in you, Sasuke. Now, talk; what did you see?

Sasuke, still in pain, received a tranquilizing hug from Karin, who whispered to him:

- It wasn't him, Sasuke… I could've smelled his chakra if it was him…

Sasuke laid an arm around Karin's waist and took a white towel, handed by Suigetsu, drying the blood tears. Then he said:

- Itachi…

Madara got surprised:

- But… Itachi died, and you know it...

- He talked to me, and he **smiled** like when we were children…

Suigetsu, quite amused, said:

- So you smiled before _too_, Sasuke.

- Shut the hell up, Suigetsu! – Karin's expression revealed an upcoming wrath that made Suigetsu stay on guard. Sasuke said:

- His eyes… his face, no, his whole body irradiated light… a different light…. And, and his Sharingan, it wasn't the Mangekyou… it was sort of, different…

This made Madara's eyes open wide, a lot shocked, even with fear. He asked, with dark voice:

- How did it look like?

- It was his Mangekyou, but it was silver-colored instead of black, and it was really shiny… the name he told me was-

In that moment, a deep sting of pain made itself evident, as Sasuke started to take his hands to his temples and cry blood. Madara, understanding that there was something really wrong with that, just said:

- You'd rather not think about that again, Sasuke… Here you go – He tossed a second towel to the boy, and the young Uchiha dried his eyes, realizing that now the blood was black and viscous. Madara said, not noticing this: -. Get some sleep, kid; you still need to train for your combat against your last enemies.

With these words, Madara vanished with another vortex. Suigetsu left the room, followed closely by Juugo, who seemed worried. Karin, a lot concerned, smiled towards him:

- Don't worry, Sasuke-kun, I'll take those nightmares away.

Sasuke hugged her, kissing her cheek, and she whispered to him, blushed:

- I know… I don't like any of this either… I just hope we could get free from this mess…

Sasuke, still with fear in his eyes, lied back in bed, hugging Karin.

The next day, he would start training as every day, in his own training room; casually, the one that used to belong to Itachi when he was part of Akatsuki. _This just doesn't make sense; even while being dead, he'll keep casting his shadow towards me…_ Still thinking about last night's nightmare, Sasuke made memory, and tried to write the name of Itachi's new Sharingan, but, after attempting the first trace in the floor with the kunai, he fell off his knees, suffering another megrim and blinded by the bright light in his eyes and his thoughts. He heard Itachi's voice on his head:

- Seek the light, not the darkness… I taught you to hate the darkness of the Clan; I turned myself a dark character, so you'd reject everything the Clan had been, and search for your own light… but you didn't get the message at all, and sank like the others…

Sasuke, in pain, screamed:

- Goddamn it!! Die once and for all and leave me alone!!

- You know very well that I can't do that…

- SHUT THE HELL UP!!!!

Juugo ran towards the room, and saw Sasuke on the floor, spitting a black liquid. Sasuke noticed that this black liquid was kind of like poison, and threw it up his mouth. Juugo lifted him up and took him to the room where he slept with Karin. He said:

- Sasuke, you're spitting petroleum…

Sasuke saw Juugo and yelled in pain, throwing up more of that dark liquid in the floor:

- P-Petroleum?? But-

Juudo touched the liquid, tested its consistence, and said:

- Yes, I'm afraid it's petroleum…

Sasuke detailed the darkness of the liquid, and noticed that, after spitting this, he could see much better than before. At least, he could distinguish Juugo's silhouette firmly. _What the hell is going on?_

- That petroleum you're spitting is what the Mangekyou Sharingan leaves you – Itachi's voice came back to his mind: -. That darkness took Madara's sight away, and, after stealing his brother's eyes, he earned what was called "the fake light". That's no more than an artificial light, like a bulb, or a lantern, in the middle of the darkness…

Itachi's voice vanished when Juugo spoke:

- I should bring Karin here.

As Juugo left, Itachi came back:

- Search for the light, Sasuke… Look for me…

Sasuke cried inconsolably, still crying and spitting petroleum.

That night, Sasuke would open his eyes again. He saw his father, Fugaku Uchiha, and his mother, Mikoto, sitting next to a young Uchiha, and they spoke to the sweet three-year-old kid:

- You'll be our weapon.

- You'll show the world the darkness that waits for everyone who desires to challenge our Clan.

- You'll put us in our rightful place in this world.

- You'll become the one Uchiha that will earn respect for our Clan.

- You'll take the path of the Clan's hero, the role of the Supreme Avenger.

- You'll bring our Clan back to our life.

Sasuke couldn't believe what he was seeing in his parents: terrible darkness and ambition, even more terrible than Madara's ones. But these were _his parents_, and the young kid just had three years old… _It was Itachi… they brainwashed him… and he just struggled to get free from them all…_

Then he saw his best friend, Shisui Uchiha, sitting close to him while he was seven:

- Itachi… there's a power that we must reach… the true power of our Clan… You father desires, more than anything else, that you attain this power…

_That bastard was preparing him at such a young age…_

Then, he was seeing the secret scrolls of the Uchiha Clan, and saw the writings left by Madara Uchiha and his younger brother, Izuna Uchiha. The first line said:

- "The maximum power of the Clan Uchiha is obtained after you kill the person you love most… your best friend…"

Another line said:

- "Then, the light of the Eternal Sharingan is attained when you take the eyes of your own Uchiha brother… The power of the Eternal Sharingan's Immortality…"

Then, he remembered that one of the legendary techniques of the Sharingan was covered with a metallic badge. This one was retired by a kunai, handled by a twelve-year-old Itachi. The badge covered a now visible, but marked in an attempt to not allow people to read it well: "Hikari Sharingan…" but the explanation about it was completely unreadable. _It was eliminated… and, as it seems, quite long ago… but Itachi found it… and that's why he doesn't want Madara to know that he found it…_

Now all made sense. The true bother that Itachi felt when he was publicly accused of murdering Shisui, the motivation behind the Clan's deaths by his hands, the way he was sinking in darkness when he actually wanted both for himself and Sasuke to get rid of the Uchiha's actual path. The real reason of why he hated the Clan that much. Itachi's voice came back:

- That, brother, was what I wanted you to hate. I only showed you how the average Clan member acted: arrogant, ambitious and dark. That was the thing you had to reject. You had to reach the light of the Hikari Sharingan. You still can, and must, do it… if you still wish to get out of your little dark world and reestablish the Uchiha Clan…

The voice disappeared, and Sasuke felt how his heart broke in several pieces. _I'm really a ruthless bastard… I killed my brother and I became exactly what he was preventing me from becoming…_

Sasuke suddenly snapped. _I don't need Madara, not at all…_

After these thoughts, he fell back to sleep.

End of Chapter 26.


	27. Chapter 27: Life at the Seas

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or its characters.**** I should rather create my own characters and make my own stories, but I'm lame…**

Chapter 27: Life at the Seas.

Over the Akimichi ship, Chouji and Asumi, quite apart from the group in the deck, were singing pirate and sailor songs while they handled the wheel. They seemed really happy in appearance, but Shikamaru could notice that, at least, he was worried about something.

Nevertheless, it was too much of a bother to try and force it out of Chouji, so he decided to get close to his own girlfriend, who was watching to the north in the deck, standing in the starboard. He whispered to her ear, placing his arms around her waist:

- Hey there, troublesome… - He teased, but Temari also had her own way to tease him:

- Tell me, lazy ass… - Temari also whispered. Shikamaru asked:

- How about we go to the prow?

- I like the idea, Shika-kun… else, the other Jounin won't leave us alone if they see us making out here.

Both laughed, blushed, due to Temari's quiet and unnoticed boldness. Shikamaru loved that boldness of hers, no matter how much he'd complain about it, and Temari knew it very well. Shikamaru whispered:

- Kakashi, who is a particular pervert, won't stop staring at us at all, Temari-chan…

Temari took Shikamaru's hand, and both walked towards the prow. The Nara teenager found a door on the floor of the deck, hidden by some barrels and ropes, and pointed at it, blinking an eye to Temari:

- Want to check out what's down there?

- Sure!

Shikamaru opened the gate and, after inspecting the place in depth, both he and Temari entered the room, giggling, chuckling and blushing. Once inside, they didn't care about anything at all, and started making out a bit wildly.

Neji and Tenten finished fitting themselves in their new room, under the deck. Neji stated, sighing:

- This will be a long trip, Tenten…

Tenten, noticing his boredom, replied with a sigh of hers:

- Yeas, no need to state it again, Neji…

- Well, at least everyone is okay so far.

Tenten, after seeing the relaxed smile in the usually stoic Neji's face, asked:

- How does it feel to live without the Seal?

- Well, I've just got a few days with my forehead free, and I already can notice great differences.

- Like what? – Tenten's curiosity was rewarded with a blush in Neji's face:

- I've got a girlfriend, a very pretty and skilled one…

Tenten kissed his lips and hugged him:

- And I've got the best man in the world as my boyfriend.

Neji returned the kiss a bit more passionately; and to make sure no one was outside seeing them, he closed the door. Tenten's smile was not only on her face, but also inside her heart.

Maki was playing with Shino's insects, quite careless, while he stared at her, detailing her beauty. _It's quite weird to see such a pretty girl playing with bugs like a child, but it's also a very nice view. I can't deny it at all._ Quite lost in his own thoughts, he could do nothing else than react awkwardly when she got close to him curiously:

- Shino-kun… are you okay?

- Oh! Sorry, Maki-chan… - Shino got a bit nervous under her pretty amethyst eyes: - I-I was just thinking about-

- About me, I know it – Shino blushed while hearing Maki, and she smiled, closing her eyes: -. I saw how you stared at me while I played with the bugs… - Getting close to Shino, she blushed and whispered: - And I actually liked it.

Shino, amazed, took off his glasses, revealing his eyes to Maki, and kissed her lips tenderly. She surrounded his waist with her arms and said, softly:

- Let's go rest for a while, Shino-kun; I'm feeling a bit dizzy…

- Sure, Maki-chan, let's go to the room.

Shino took the slightly dizzy Maki and walked down to the rooms. Meanwhile, Lee and Yuki were practicing Taijutsu in the center of the deck. Lee was using his incredible speed and strength, while Yuki helped herself with some ice weights, to try and match Lee's weight training.

Sakura was quite happy, playing with Akamaru, caressing its stomach. Akamaru replied with happy barks and pleasure cries. Kiba entered the room carrying a couple of dishes with food. He gave one to Akamaru, and started eating from the other one. Sakura saw his innocent smile and asked, teasing:

- You're eating again, Kiba-kun?

- Sure I am! Heh, heh! I brought for you too, if you want.

Sakura saw the food and gave it a try. Suddenly, she saw herself eating with Kiba happily. Akamaru was eating quite decently for a dog. Kiba commented:

- Naruto and Hinata leave today…

Sakura saw Kiba, a bit bored, and asked:

- Where do they leave?

- As I can remember, they'd leave to warn Gaara about Itachi's team's arrival.

- Hmm… - Sakura adopted a thinking posture: - Will they teleport again?

- Yeah. I guess they're already calling for their friends, the toad and the dragon.

- I'd love to go with them, Kiba-kun, and you? – Sakura pouted, making sad puppy eyes. Kiba saw her and chuckled. _She looks darn cute when doing that, damn it!_ He replied, teasing:

- Hmm, well, Sakura-chan… - Sakura was actually thinking that the puppy eyes weren't working, getting sad on the inside, but he replied: - I'm already sick of being in this boat, and well, I beg for Chouji's pardon, but I'm eager to arrive. Else, we still have to look for Ino, and damn…

- So, what do you say?

- Let's give it a shot. We shall ask Naruto and Hinata.

Sakura, quite happy, opened the door, hoping that they didn't left yet. Casually, she saw Naruto and Hinata enter their own room, and she called them. They were holding hands, and Hinata forgot to let go, dragging Naruto to Sakura's room.

Once inside, Sakura spoke, while Kiba kept eating:

- You two leave today, right, guys?

Naruto replied, a bit nervous:

- Well, yeah, we've got to tell Gaara of Itachi's arrival. And we're already taking Shikamaru and Temari with us. By the way, have you seen them?

Both Kiba and Sakura nodded, getting a bit sad. Sakura tried the puppy eyes on them:

- Couldn't we go with you, guys? We're sick and tired of being here!

Hinata started pressing her index fingertips together, nervous, and she looked at Naruto:

- Um… I-It wouldn't be the… b-best, guys…

Kiba pouted then:

- Why not?

- Well, the two strongest summoners are leaving already, and, also, the main strategist duo is leaving. We need you two to protect the group, given that you have great summoning contracts active, and that you're quite clever. – Naruto's voice turned serious: - You can't keep depending on me anymore, _or on Hinata-chan_.

This made Hinata blush to a red wine tone. Kiba laughed:

- Well, well, you've made a good point. This will be quite boring, I know, but we actually need to get better, and with you two here, we've not been able to show our prowess lately.

Sakura, a bit saddened, replied with a sad smile:

- It's time to work then… well, have a nice trip.

Naruto felt bad:

- I know it's not what you wanted to hear, but we can't take everyone with us, guys. If Shikamaru and Temari hadn't decided to go and prepare Ino to join us, we should have taken you two with us to the Hidden Sand.

Hinata said:

- Well, guys, do your best! See you!

As they left, Sakura and Kiba glanced to each other, bothered. Sakura pouted:

- It's unbelievable!

- I wanted to leave! – Kiba's complain was quite a bit loud.

Sakura opened the door and her eyes opened wide, as she giggled a bit. Kiba went to see what Sakura was seeing and chuckled too. Shikamaru and Temari were walking down the stairs, completely blushed, and also accommodating their own clothes nervously. The scene forced both Kiba and Sakura to put their hands on their own mouths, to avoid their laughter from being heard. When the "troublesome couple" finished, they tried to be serious again, but the blush and the way they were holding hands gave them away. They entered their own room, leaving the door open. Then, they packed everything clumsily and giggled, running towards Naruto's room. Kiba, doing his best to hold his laughter, whispered to Sakura:

- These two guys had a big time, heh, heh!

- Ha, ha, ha! I can't imagine when Kakashi sees this!

Kiba and Sakura started laughing again softly, but then a smoke cloud showed in front of them. Kakashi's figure appeared, and asked:

- You imagine what when I see what?

Sakura and Kiba glared at each other, seeing the bothered Kakashi, who was reading a book called "Icha Icha Games", probably older than the ones he used to read. Then, to Kakashi's surprise, they burst out in laughter. Kakashi sweat-dropped and mumbled:

- I'll never understand these youngsters…

Kakashi disappeared with another smoke cloud, while Sakura and Kiba were rolling on the floor, laughing their faces out.

In Naruto's room, the strategist couple saw how the room's owners had a red toad and a blue dragon besides each other. Surprised with that sight, they startled even more when they spoke. The toad said first:

- Hey, Naruto. Are they coming with us?

- Sure, Gamakichi. – Naruto pointed at them.

- These two are in love, isn't it? – The dragon asked then, curious, and that made Shikamaru and Temari blush to an even deeper red tone. Naruto and Hinata couldn't contain a loud laughter. Aoryuu, not understanding why Naruto and Hinata were laughing, told to Gamakichi:

- I guess it's still difficult for me to understand Humans, Gamakichi…

- I say the same thing, Aoryuu. – Gamakichi's voice was also confused.

After the loud laughter, Hinata took a deep breath, lowering the colors off her face. Naruto, panting, said:

- Ha, ha! I see you're ready!

Temari, with a vein popped out in her brow, burst out in nervous anger:

- STOP LAUGHING ALREADY!!! WHAT DID WE DO FOR YOU TO LAUGH LIKE THAT?!?!

Hinata claimed cleverly:

- Ha, ha, ha! W-we're not laughing of wh-what you did! W-we just laugh of how you r-react, guys!

Suddenly, a couple of punches landed on Naruto's and Hinata's heads. Temari, furious, landed both her fists in their skulls, and Shikamaru claimed:

- Yeah, yeah, you're very funny, you two. How troublesome.

Temari, taking a breath to calm down, said:

- Okay then, shall we leave?

- Ouch, sure, guys… - Naruto was stroking his new bruise with both hands, so as Hinata did with her own one.

Gamakichi and Aoryuu drew a drop of blood, while Naruto and Hinata bit their own fingertips, and the quartet started arming seals. Shikamaru and Temari, seeing how calm they were doing it all, ended up disappearing from that place, leaving a smoke cloud behind them.

In the deck, the rest of the Jounin were seeing the sparring Lee and Yuki were doing. Dorou said, amused:

- Damn, these two fight whole-heartedly.

Guy adopted his "nice guy" pose, smiling wide and giving them a thumbs-up:

- Mi student Lee is the best Taijutsu fighter in the Hidden Leaf!

Hagane was a bit skeptical, and replied:

- Hmm, I should fight him someday.

Shizune replied:

- With your techniques, you'll end up breaking every single bone of his, Hagane.

Guy swallowed deep, imagining the scene, and Hagane laughed:

- No, it should be a Taijutsu-only spar, no Iron Style techniques. I think I can defeat him easily.

Kakashi replied, still reading the book:

- Well, then, go ahead, but don't be too confident, Hagane.

Hagane stood up, attempting to interrupt the sparring, but then she received a kick in her face's side, flying a few meters away before she fainted. Lee, a bit ashamed, said, while Yuki also saw the scene:

- Um, I guess I… defeated her, master Guy!

Guy adopted again the "nice guy" pose, proclaiming:

- You defeat your enemies without seeing them, Lee! YOUR YOUTHFUL SPIRIT PREVAILS!!!

Everybody laughed: some of the sudden and fierce kick, and some of Guy's heartfelt and ridiculous speech. Hagane stood up again, dizzy, contributing with the group's laughter. Yuki took Lee's hand, raising it in the air:

- The winner by TKO is Rock Lee!!

After receiving a kiss from the white-haired girl, Lee got blushed. He grinned, showing his shiny eyes towards Yuki, and she blushed too, making the group laugh.

End of Chapter 27.

A/N: I know, a relaxed chapter, but I guess it was necessary to release the tensions of chapter 26's cliffhanger, without losing the cliffhanger itself. I cannot solve everything that fast, heh, heh =). Please review!


	28. Chapter 28: Meeting in the Rain

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters.**

Chapter 28: Meeting in the Rain.

After a long week's trip, Itachi, Kisame and Zetsu arrived to the Rain Country's southern border. Kisame spoke, quite nostalgically:

- I still remember this place…

The white Zetsu replied:

- Yes… it's just such a gloomy place…

Itachi just said, waking his partners up:

- Let's see how Konan is maintaining it.

The trio entered the rainy terrains that gave name to that Ninja Village.

In a tall building, in the Hidden Rain Village, a beautiful, blue-haired, blue-eyed girl, wearing a bent-paper rose to tie her hair in a bun over her head to her right side, perceived the alterations in the rain, with their respective huge chakras. _And what do those guys want now?_

Konan detailed the plant-like man walking besides the shark-like man and the Uchiha guy. She noticed her costumes and got surprised. _They're not wearing the Akatsuki robes… what's going on here?_

Suddenly, they vanished in a smoke cloud, and, with another smoke cloud, they appeared in front of her desk. The three of them smiled, and Konan lowered her sight, checking her weapons and her paper reserves. Itachi greeted her in a rather gentle way:

- Hello, Konan. It's good to see you're still active.

Konan detailed them:

- Itachi Uchiha… Kisame Hoshigaki… Zetsu… you're here to slay me, aren't you?

Kisame shook his head 'no':

- Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…

The white Zetsu spoke:

- No, Konan, we don't desire your demise.

- We want you to ally us. – The black Zetsu would appear to be smiling as much as the white one. Konan just replied bluntly:

- I cannot ally myself with Akatsuki again, and you know very well why.

Itachi handed Konan the paper he had in his hands and said:

- That's exactly why we want you to join us three. Naruto Uzumaki sends this message to you.

Konan read the letter, feeling the red chakra that bathed it. She read the message with loud voice:

- "Lady Konan, I send you messengers you've acquainted with before so you can understand the seriousness of this situation. Itachi didn't exactly die, unlike what Madara Uchiha said at all, and he made a Blood and Chakra Pact with both Hinata Hyuuga and me. Check out his ring."

Konan saw Itachi's ring and noticed that it wasn't Akatsuki's power ring, but a shiny, red one. Kisame and Zetsu didn't also carry their Akatsuki rings. She kept reading:

- "Kisame and Zetsu, alongside him, have taken care of me and my friends. Join them, and help us actively to avoid the Great War planned by the Sixth Hokage: Danzou; also, help us get rid of Madara Uchiha. Trust me, everything will be all right. Yours Truly, Naruto Uzumaki" Hmm…

Konan detailed her guests again, and noticed that Itachi wasn't even using his Sharingan. Kisame and Zetsu were also very quiet and serious. She asked then, still oblivious:

- How did you manage to wrap the Nine-Tails' chakra in this letter?

- Naruto himself put Kyuubi's chakra when he wrote the letter, before he gave it to us – Kisame spoke, noticing that the letter was shining in red: -. He's already at the Hidden Sand Village, and he's waiting for us over there.

Konan noticed the change in the chakra, and, like the rest of the group in that office, heard Naruto's voice:

- I made it to the Hidden Sand; I should talk Gaara into allowing you inside the Hidden Village in a while.

Konan was surprised, as she heard Naruto was safe and sound. The black Zetsu, realizing that Naruto's voice came out from Itachi's ring, asked:

- Now, should you believe us this time, old friend?

Konan put lots of paper in her pouches and said:

- I'm going with you. Besides, I need to speak with Gaara.

Itachi smiled kindly, something Konan had never even imagined to see. Zetsu, both halves, were also smiling, offering a hand. Kisame saw Konan get up and shake Zetsu's hand in agreement, and said:

- Well, let's go get the true dawn with Naruto; the true Akatsuki, Konan.

Konan smiled him back, and the quartet left the building.

Konan was leading the group, flanked by Itachi and Kisame, and Zetsu closed the formation behind her. Konan, noticing the differences in Itachi's new ring, asked:

- And that ring, Itachi?

Itachi saw his red ring with the word "Fire" written in ruby and said:

- It's a materialized ring made from Fire chakra and blood. I made the Blood and Chakra Pact with Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuuga. He has the Air ring, and she has the Water ring.

Konan detailed the ring again, realizing that the metal was red. She inferred:

- I suppose that ring allows you to control your chakra a lot better…

Kisame saw it too, curiously:

- The truth is, I don't know. Madara's rings allegedly leveled our chakra, but I never felt any difference at all between when I had the ring before and now that I don't have it.

Itachi stated:

- This ring is a chakra ring, and it's the symbol of the Blood and Chakra Pact we three had made. As far as I know, the ring will be there just to force me to honor the pact, even when I have no intention of breaking it at all; but, else than that, I don't think it can do anything else.

Konan, doubtful, asked:

- By the way, weren't you dead, Itachi Uchiha?

Itachi sighed, bored, and explained his whole story once again. As they left the Hidden Rain Village, Zetsu was surprised to see a figure following his group: a figure a lot like himself. The image got close, and Zetsu realized that it was another member of his Clan. The woman was a lot like him: the right half of her body was black and her left half was white. Her hair and eyes were olive green, like the open plant-like appendix that covered her upper body. Her body was quite athletic, but slim, and she wore a tight dark green tunic, and got close to him:

- So the **famous** Zetsu shows up…

Zetsu realized it was the black half of the woman who spoke. His own black half replied:

- Yeah, yeah, another member of the Clan who wants to kill me, as I can see…

The white Zetsu spoke:

- It's good to know I'm not the last one in this mess, but… where did you come out from?

The woman's white half said:

- I guess you convinced me to run away and make my own life when we were a couple, in our youth…

The girl, withdrawing her plant appendix, revealed her face, fixed her hair and combed it in a way that hair was falling slightly over her brow, covering her eyes a bit. Zetsu, seeing the sudden and unexpected change, felt tears sting his eyes, and his white half just mumbled:

- H-Hatsuhana… i-is it, you?

The girl got close, also speaking softly:

- Zetsu…

But, when she was close enough, she slapped his black side of the face with strength. The black Hatsuhana said then, seeing his baffled face:

- In fifteen years you didn't even write me a letter… How dare you?

Zetsu saw that Hatsuhana was dropping tears, but also that she was smiling nostalgically. His white half replied:

- I was a bit busy keeping you alive and well, Hatsuhana… so as the few relatives of ours that escaped…

Zetsu hid his own plant appendix and Hatsuhana hugged him, relieved. Zetsu even blushed, and now _that_ was a weird view for Konan. She teased:

- Well, well, well, I never thought **you** had a human side, Zetsu.

Kisame spoke:

- That's why Zetsu abandoned Madara, Konan.

- And, how about you, Kisame? – Konan's voice was filled with curiosity. Kisame replied:

- I just want to go back to my Hidden Mist Village and settle down in peace; fix my life and clear my name. I'm sick of my "missing-nin" role-playing.

Konan turned to Itachi, satisfied with Kisame's reply, and said:

- Well, we're now a group of five. We must run and endure the heat.

Zetsu and Hatsuhana agreed and, after a rather weird lip lock, they decided to follow the path to the Hidden Sand. It would still take them a few days to arrive, and Itachi felt something in his ring. When he looked on to it, he realized his ring was projecting a scene of Naruto and Hinata speaking to Gaara in his office. As he realized that they were discussing some interesting things, he commented, quite content:

- They're already talking for us. Get ready in case they need us.

With a sign, Konan ordered to raise their pace. Naruto and Hinata were waiting for them, and she didn't want to let them down when they needed her help.

End of Chapter 28.

A/N: Another new name: Hatsuhana (初花) means, between other things, "the first flower of the season/year". I thought a pretty name in a weird character could make something fun… and also taking off the gloomy weird thing off Zetsu. Please review!


	29. Chapter 29: The Great Gathering

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its Characters.**

Chapter 29: The Great Gathering.

In the Hidden Sand Village, inside the Kazekage's office, the Kazekage, the old Tsuchikage, the gorgeous Mizukage and the strong Raikage were gathered, discussing. The Raikage spoke first:

- Kazekage, the Hidden Leaf almost destroyed our border guard, just using five Jounin. I lost thirty Jounin and Chuunin ninjas in the hands of those bastards.

Gaara stared at him and said, quite calm:

- Lord Raikage, I demand you to explain with details how these Jounin worked.

Raikage, noticing the serious calm of the Kazekage, was starting to arouse in anger. He replied:

- They were members of a long-gone Clan. Apparently, Danzou could bring back to life some members of the ancient Yobu Clan, the summoning specialists.

Mizukage spoke then, upset:

- That bastard took kids from all over the world in their most tender age and trained them secretly under the flag of ANBU Root. It's probable that he had stolen children who had that genetic remnant.

Tsuchikage's statement made Raikage shiver:

- Also, remember that Kabuto Yakushi is his personal ally. It's highly probable that they had found any DNA sample from Orochimaru's personal supplies, and had been experimenting DNA insertion in living bodies. They already did it with Hashirama Senju's DNA. They could replicate the First Hokage's DNA into a new body.

Gaara said:

- And that ANBU Captain is on our side. Yamato turned himself a missing-nin, along with some other Leaf Jounin, and now he assists us in the gathering of the Twelve of the Leaf.

Tsuchikage took a chance to ask:

- Well, talking about that, what about the Nine-Tails' host?

In that instant, like a heavenly answer, a smoke cloud showed up in the office. An orange-red toad, a blue dragon, and four young ninjas appeared in front of the four Kages. They all bowed towards Gaara, and Shikamaru spoke first:

- The search for the Twelve of the Leaf is almost finishing, lord Gaara.

Temari replied:

- We're here to report ourselves, and we shall head back to the group at once. We're still going after Ino Yamanaka and Root's ex-agent, Sai.

Aoryuu and Gamakichi made hand seals again, still with the blood drops on their fingers, and vanished along with Shikamaru and Temari. The other two stayed, receiving the glares of the four Kages. Gaara stood up and said:

- Naruto Uzumaki, old friend, it's good to see you.

- Gaara, I see you're quite busy. Hinata and I shall wait until you finish your meeting, because we need to speak privately.

Tsuchikage, Mizukage and Raikage saw Naruto, a bit insulted, as he didn't even pay attention to them. Gaara just said, kind of enjoying the situation:

- You can give us all this information.

- He cannot – Hinata's decisive reply shocked them all. Gaara himself was surprised. Hinata continued: - It's okay that we handle a Great Alliance like this one, but this information will not be regarded as good for some of the presents.

Hinata saw Raikage and Mizukage, with merciful eyes, and Naruto said:

- We've got allies that you three won't accept willingly, that's why I ask you to trust us, so Gaara, who trusts me more, will test them _and_ accept them. Then, and only then, he'll find a better way to give you that information. Now, if you'll excuse us.

Naruto and Hinata left the office and walked slowly towards the place Shikamaru told them. They hugged each other in the way there, and also kissed each other. When they reached the place, they could finally sleep comfortably, having the privacy they were longing for since a long while ago.

As they left, still in the meeting, Raikage said:

- Well, the Nine-Tails is still safe; now, we must discuss who will take the custody of the host.

Mizukage asked then, a bit upset:

- And, why should such a thing need to be _discussed_?

Tsuchikage replied:

- You're not even thinking about taking Naruto to your lands, are you, lord Raikage?

Gaara answered, in a definite way:

- That discussion is useless. Naruto will stay here.

Raikage, aroused in anger, stood up, pushing his chair behind:

- The Nine-Tails' host needs to be disciplined and ready to participate in the war! So, there's the imperative need for him to be with someone expert in the management of Demon carriers!

Tsuchikage laughed soundly and Mizukage replied cleverly:

- You, who had two hosts for Tailed Beasts in your grasp, you suffocated them to the point that they decided to run away from you! You handed them to Akatsuki in a silver plate!

Gaara said, still calm:

- Naruto is my only true friend, and, as him, I was a host myself: the host of the One-Tail, to be more precise. I know very well how to handle this kind of individuals, as I was one of them. On the other side, Naruto is a lot more mature than any other Demon carrier before him, so he'll be a lot more reasonable towards my treatment than with any of you.

Tsuchikage said, catching his breath:

- I agree with the young Kazekage.

Mizukage said:

- I support the idea of the Jinchuuriki staying in the Hidden Sand.

Raikage, quite hurt and insulted as he was slammed with the painful and awful truth, could do nothing else than agree:

- You're right… Damn it…

Gaara said:

- Then, there's nothing else to discuss. The Alliance keeps alive, and we shall report to you all when the Twelve of the Leaf arrive safe and sound.

The three visitor Kages saluted Gaara goodbye, bowing towards hm. Raikage was still angry, but he couldn't counter the other Kages' logic. Tsuchikage laughed on the inside. _This young Kazekage is quite talented, actually. I did well by joining him_. Mizukage couldn't stop thinking about how attractive Gaara _and_ Naruto were, but she returned quickly to her serene pace when she noticed Raikage's rising rage.

The next morning, Hinata and Naruto were in Gaara's office. Naruto and Hinata charged their elemental rings with their chakra, establishing contact with Itachi while they'd argue with Gaara. The Kazekage spoke, as Himawari entered with food for him and her:

- Well, Naruto Uzumaki, speak at once.

Noticing Gaara's seriousness, Naruto spoke seriously too:

- We've made three great allies in our trip with your search team. Even one of them agreed to establish a Blood and Chakra Pact with the two of us.

Gaara, interested, saw Hinata, who answered:

- T-they are: Itachi Uchiha of the Hidden Leaf, Kisame Hoshigaki of the Hidden Mist and Zetsu of the Hidden Grass.

Gaara's eyes were wide open in shock, and Himawari got worried:

- Gaara-kun…

- You're allies with _**Akatsuki**_?!?! – Naruto noticed Gaara's huge killer intent, but he stood firm as he replied:

- Itachi Uchiha came back from the death to rescue his brother, Sasuke, from the fake light of Madara Uchiha. With his return to life and his new light, Kisame joined him, and Zetsu turned his back on the immortal bastard in favor of them.

Himawari saw Naruto and asked Gaara:

- Gaara-kun, isn't this the last Jinchuuriki alive? Why should he ally his main pursuers?

- It's better if I explain that – Itachi Uchiha's voice, so as his face, were projected through the chakra emitted by Naruto and Hinata to their respective rings. Gaara said, upset:

- Speak then.

Itachi explained the situation all over again, and then he used his ring to show that Kisame, Zetsu and his lost girlfriend, Hatsuhana, and Konan not only decided to betray Madara and Akatsuki, but they were in their way to the Hidden Sand to discuss very important business, like Madara Uchiha's demise and Sasuke's rescue. Gaara noticed the seriousness and the truth in the voice of the resuscitated. He said then:

- Well then, we shall arrange a private meeting, so you can explain me this in detail. I don't trust this yet, and I don't know what you've done to Naruto; I've learned to not trust the Mangekyou Sharingan.

Itachi revealed his new Doujutsu and said:

- I've come to this world to fight the Mangekyou Sharingan with the Hikari Sharingan.

Gaara noticed that Itachi's eye acquired the shape of the Mangekyou Sharingan, but the usual black silhouettes turned light blue. Also, still through the chakra projection, the light of Itachi's chakra could be felt. Gaara, realizing that, smiled, still frowning, and said:

- Get here as fast as you can, and we'll discuss this immediately.

- Said and done, Lord Kazekage! – Itachi, Kisame, Konan and Zetsu replied eagerly.

Gaara saw Naruto and Hinata and said:

- I don't know what the hell you've done, but if this is true somehow, then we'll have a lot more chances to bring justice and peace.

Hinata smiled kindly and Naruto extended Gaara a hand, saying:

- Be sure that we'll accomplish all of that; it's a promise, my friend.

Gaara stood up, shaking Naruto's hand securely. Himawari, still in the office, saw the scene with joy in her face. Naruto and Hinata started their withdrawal from the office, when Himawari said to Gaara, smiling:

- I've heard a rumor on the streets that said you were great chefs!

Naruto and Hinata, surprised to hear that, blushed furiously while Himawari laughed. Gaara chuckled and said:

- Whenever you want to, you can open your restaurant here in the village.

- We'll surely go and pay you a visit – Himawari blinked an eye to the couple and threw them a property scroll: -. This local was remodeled, so you can make your restaurant. If Temari liked it that much, then we shall love it.

The couple saw the smiling Gaara and the blushing Himawari, still not believeing what they just saw, heard or received, and released tears of joy; then, they bowed towards the couple eagerly, as thankful as they've never been before, and Gaara said:

- Do you think that it can be ready for this week?

- It'll be ready for this week! – Naruto's reply was excited.

The couple retired, still happy and excited. Hinata's voice in the halls gave her joyfulness away:

- T-the Restaurant of the D-Dragon a-and the T-T-Toad i-is b-b-back, Naruto-kun!

Naruto's reply was also a lot excited:

- Yes, it is, Hinata-chan! We must get to work!

The couple's voices made themselves softer and softer as they got away from the building. Himawari saw Gaara and said:

- Gaara-kun, you've got really great friends. Those two are just so trustful.

- I know, Himawari-chan – Gaara saw the girl and took her hand: -. Let's have our breakfast now. Close the door, please, and that no one comes in. I want to eat with you alone, peacefully.

Himawari smiled; blushed, closing her eyes in a tender gesture, and locked the door, sitting beside Gaara to have breakfast.

End of Chapter 29.

A/N: The Yobu Clan was invented by me. Yobu comes for "呼ぶ", what means "to call, to invite", might have also a meaning as "to summon". Please review!


	30. Chapter 30: The Fall of the Clans

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, then you all bastards should owe me your souls BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA** **XD**

Chapter 30: The Fall of the Clans.

A five-day battle was fought in the borders with the Hidden Cloud Village. Both sides' troops returned to their lands, declaring that the tide wouldn't turn to favor any of them.

The Mizukage, recently arrived from her trip to the Hidden Sand Village, ended up combating in her own terrain against the Hidden Leaf too, as they attempted a naval assault. When she returned with her wounded and her unharmed soldiers back to the Hidden Mist Village, she took the good news to her Council of Elders.

In the Hidden Leaf, the next day, Danzou received the news of the failure in both attempts of invasion, as the battle against the Hidden Cloud was tough, and also as the Mizukage returned to the Hidden Mist to defend her folks. Of course, he seemed to be very angry with the news.

Due to that, Danzou reunited the elders of the main Clans of the village. The elders were Takeshi Akimichi: a fat old man whose white hair was as spiky as the rest of his clan's; Shian Nara: an elderly woman whose temper was enough to scare the hell out of any person, and her small eyes revealed an incredible intelligence; Kazuhiro Hyuuga: a hairless Hyuuga whose white eyes were just too inquisitive, particularly when seeing at Danzou's left eye; Sayaka Aburame: a woman who covered her hair and her face with a jacket, her eyes with dark glasses, and who was known for her usage of at least thirty kinds of insects; Kegawa Inuzuka, a woman who had long gray hair, dog-like eyes, and a huge gray-haired dog that never left her side; and at last Shinji Yamanaka: the elder of the mentalists, someone who could get inside your mind just by looking at your eyes, and not even needing to use chakra at all.

The six elders went to attend the call of the enraged Hokage. Homura and Kohari stood at the Hokage's sides in his desk, both cold and impassive. Danzou watched them, activating his Sharingan and his Byakugan:

- Clan Elders, I've called for you finally. We need to talk seriously.

The six elders, who watched the Sixth Hokage with despise, just stood there, waiting. Danzou started talking again:

- Our assault to the Hidden Mist Village was a total failure.

Shian Nara replied:

- We told you so.

Sayaka Aburame replied:

- The same way we warned you that the direct assault to the Hidden Cloud wouldn't work at all.

Kazuhiro Hyuuga said, still seeing Danzou's Byakugan with despise:

- Else, the Village is receiving less resources and funds every day.

Danzou glared daggers at them, but they didn't even startle. Their experience in diplomacy skills, after applying them with at least _three_ Hokages before him and the higher and minor Feudal Lords of the allied countries gave them the upper hand in discussions and debates, even more when they were speaking the truth. Even so, the Sixth Hokage replied:

- If you've handed me quality ninjas when I asked you for, now there'd only be three of the Higher Hidden Villages, and you know it.

Danzou put a lot of poison in that last phrase, but Kegawa Inuzuka stated simply:

- If you require quality ninjas from us when they are busy, we can do nothing.

Takeshi Akimichi said:

- Else, the Clans are not a **ninja bank** of sorts for you to use them as it suits you.

Shinji Yamanaka challenged the Hokage:

- We protect and serve the Village, and the Hokage defends us from the most catastrophic threats. That's how a real Hidden Village works.

Danzou stood up, completely out of rage:

- YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME HOW TO DO MY WORK, YAMANAKA???

Kazuhiro Hyuuga replied:

- It seems you're not being a Hokage at all, Danzou, if you're reaching the point where **we** are the ones who have to _guide_ you through the right way.

Kegawa Inuzuka followed the idea:

- You shouldn't let yourself be taken by your own excesses, Danzou.

Sayaka Aburame enlarged it even further :

- We, the Hidden Leaf Village, are not ANBU Root, and you cannot handle us as such.

Danzou was just expecting that phrase to allow his rage, and his plan, finally unfold. He smirked, still talking with anger and poison:

- This is when you get wrong, old hags.

Shian Nara had to ask:

- You think we'd allow you from doing something like that?!

Danzou said, grinning evilly:

- You've already allowed me to do it with your presence here. I commanded this to be done while you spoke here pathetically in my office. My special agents are sealing every single member of the Village's Clans.

Shinji Yamanaka stood up and said:

- You, Danzou, have no right to act over the Elders' Council like that! Even less you have any right to dispose of the Clans over us!

Danzou replied:

- That's why I brought you here, to slay you.

Suddenly, the elders noticed a change in the right eye of Danzou, which Takeshi Akimichi recognized immediately:

- Mangekyou Sharingan!!

Danzou's right eyes started being filled with red veins, while the Elders started getting incinerated in Amaterasu's dark flames. The Elder Advisors were checking on the scene, quite scared, noticing that Danzou was crying blood tears from his right eye, and he started spitting blood. Homura said, watching the terrifying scene:

- Well, Danzou, you've got control over the Clans now.

Koharu said, seeing the blood:

- And, if someone asks, you can use those wounds on your eye to justify their deaths, alleging treason and murder attempt from the Clan elders.

Homura said:

- You have now the absolute control over the Hidden Leaf Village… and ANBU Root.

Koharu warned:

- Don't start rushing with these powers, Danzou. We still have a lot of powerful enemies, and also enemies who could get their best of you if you slip up.

Danzou said:

- The Clans are now pawns for Root. Working like this will be a lot easier, elders. Everything goes according to the plan so far. I've finally got the Clans working full-time for me, and I've got my elite guard ready, in case that that Sasuke Uchiha brat decides to come to us.

Koharu asked:

- And, what about the Nine-Tails? What about the Twelve of the Leaf?

- They will fall under the wrath of the greedy and ambitious hunter-nin from the Higher Hidden Villages. I've put them right inside the Bingo Book, with a "kill-on-sight" order for them, and the Kages will soon know of this.

Homura said, frankly:

- You're an asshole.

Danzou turned his anger towards the elder:

- How dare you?

- You do that kind of move without consulting us, while the rest of the Higher Hidden Villages ally against you, and actually protect those who represent threats to us.

Homura was handing new information on Danzou with really bad timing. _This will actually leave me as a foe for the other Kages to despise and attack._ He started thinking for a while, trying to suppress his anger:

- Why didn't you tell me of this before, you old bastards?

Koharu said:

- We were trying to get it through your skull the whole day, but you've been going on with your damn plotting to overthrow the Clans and you wouldn't listen.

Homura completed:

- And that's not the worst part.

Danzou saw Homura again:

- What now, old hag?

Homura faced Danzou and said:

- We've also discovered that the Fire Country's Feudal Lord has allied himself with the Hidden Sand Village, and he's giving them our resources and funds.

Danzou burst out in anger again:

- Then, let's just replace him! For the Gods' sake! You should be more persuasive towards me when talking to me about this kind of things!!

Koharu replied, shaking her head:

- We cannot do that.

Danzou glared daggers at Koharu, with impotent anger. Homura said:

- Our candidates to replace him died under _strange circumstances_. On the other hand, that Feudal Lord brat made himself with another Twelve Shinobi Elite Guard, composed by Elite Sand Special Jounin.

Danzou slammed both fists in the desk, screaming out of rage:

- Get out of this place NOW! I need to think!

Homura and Koharu abandoned the office, not wanting to see Danzou mad as hell, and also not wanting to learn how he could combine his two Doujutsu, using both eyes on them at the same time. Danzou started yelling and cursing. _It seems that I can't get the upper hand at all._ He'd need to think a lot, and start new plans to get resources, and power for his continent-domination war campaign.

End of Chapter 30.


	31. Chapter 31: The Twilight Island

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters.**

Chapter 31: The Twilight Island.

Shikamaru and Temari appeared, within a smoke cloud, in an island. As soon as they arrived, Temari said:

- Shika-kun… have we actually arrived?

Shikamaru took his compass, seeing towards the northwest, and said, reassuringly:

- Well, the Wind Country's desert can be seen to the northwest with not much complication, Temari-chan.

Temari smiled, seeing northwest, ad feeling a lot calmer:

- Let's check this island out.

Both shinobi started exploring the island, walking towards the northwest, surrounding some sort of humid and hot rainforest. They reached close to a village, and Temari made her steps to enter there, but Shikamaru said:

- Hey, Temari-chan, wait.

Temari turned, waiting for his reasoning. He said:

- I'd rather wait for a couple more days. It's still a week before Chouji gets were with the rest of the group, and having to see Ino so early will be a little too troublesome.

Temari giggled, blushed, and said:

- Is she that annoying, Shika-kun?

Shikamaru made his ironic smile, making Temari smile too:

- If you want to spend the whole week talking about nonsense, gossips or how many boys in here she likes, be my guest. If not, at least you'll just have to deal with just _one_ troublesome ninja, and not **two**.

Temari burst out in laughter, rolling on the floor laughing. Shikamaru laughed too, after seeing his girlfriend's reaction, and proposed:

- Hey, Temari-chan, let's camp, okay?

- Sure as hell!

The couple camped that day, then they traveled to the village to buy swimsuits, sneaking in and sneaking out, and then they decided to bathe in the beach and have some fun in the afternoon. In the night, after having dinner, they lied in the sand to watch the stars. Temari said:

- And they say over there that a ninja has no vacations, Shika-kun…

Shikamaru took her hand and said:

- Yeah, Temari-chan, it's a shame that it only lasts for a week.

Temari kissed his cheek tenderly and said:

- And that if your little girl doesn't find us first…

- We shall have to move the camp then, because I guess they've already found us.

Shikamaru pointed to a side and Temari turned to see a black rat hiding between the sand. He said:

- That's one of Sai's spy rats. He paints things with his chakra-bathed ink and gives them life.

Temari curled up beside Shikamaru and laid her head on his chest, receiving a tender hug from him. She said, playing with her fingers in his chest:

- Well, let's offer them some good stuff, what do you say, Shika-kun?

Shikamaru grinned and rolled over his side, lying over Temari. They started kissing softly, raising their rhythm as they started making out, while the ink rat saw everything, returning later to the coast village.

In the close village, the ink rat ran at full speed, entering in a house. A dark-haired guy, with pale skin and black eyes received the rat, as it he was chatting with it. Then, the rat turned into an ink stain on the floor, and the guy said loudly:

- Ino-chan, I guess your friend Shikamaru has a dick.

Ino Yamanaka, watching the guy with an awfully weird look, asked:

- Um, oookay, Sai, but, where did you get that from?

- Easy. My spy rats found him making out with that friend of his from the Hidden Sand.

- WHAAAAT?!?! – Ino's yell was loud enough to force Sai to cover his ears: - Shikamaru and Temari, here, **making out**?! I _must_ see that!! Take me to them, Sai-kun!!

Ino reacted like the gossip queen she was, and took Sai's hand, smiling from ear to ear as she dragged Sai out of the house.

When they got to the point indicated by Sai, there was no one. Ino, a bit bothered, started screaming and cursing, while the ex-ANBU Root agent glanced everywhere, surprised that they weren't there at all. Ino's order sounded like a command, and Sai knew better not to react against it:

- They can't be too far!! Look for them!!

Ino stopped cursing and armed hand seals. She projected her mind over a night bird and found what she was looking for: Shikamaru and Temari sleeping together in a tent, more to the southeast. As she returned to her body, and after spending several minutes to recover her body mobility, she ran towards them, followed by a helpless Sai.

When she reached the point, she found that it was a fake: there were a pineapple and a bunch of leaves tied to a coconut, all covered with a blanket, tied like the ceiling of a tent. She claimed, noticing how his partner was exhausted:

- Damn! They noticed us already! We shall look for them in the week! Come on, dear, let's go to sleep!

Sai noticed that Ino was upset, and decided to leave her alone. In that moment, she decided to stare at the kid and she smiled at him, seeing his slim gesture of concern:

- Don't worry, Sai-kun, calm down. You know very well that I'm gone nuts, so relax and come with me.

Ino offered Sai a hand, and he took it, smiling. _I guess I won't understand her at all. What a challenge, huh!_ Then, they both walked back to the village, chatting nonsense.

In the Akimichi ship, meanwhile, Chouji stared at the sky, still in the wheel. Asumi, with her whip tied at her back, followed his look and asked:

- Chouji… is there something wrong?

Asumi got close to Chouji, assuming correctly that he didn't want anyone else to listen to their conversation. He saw her purple hair floating with the breeze and said:

- Well… it's just that, I still can't believe that this is happening so suddenly, Asumi…

Asumi sank a hand in Chouji's spiky hair and caressed him as she spoke:

- What do you mean?

- It's just that… - Chouji turned to stare at Asumi's eyes: - This is a Fourth Ninja War, and having to run away from our homes like this, having to see so many people fall in disgrace, and even die, due to some bastard's ambition, it's just so wrong…

Asumi understood, or at least she thought so:

- I know, Chouji-kun… even I can't get used to this life style, but sharing it with you is worth the bother… - Asumi planted a short kiss in the Akimichi ninja's eyes, making him blush. Then she said: - So, is that what has you so troubled, Chouji? Is that what's making you even eat so poorly lately?

Chouji, ashamed, turned away and replied:

- I've never guessed, not even imagined, the possibility of participating in an open war… I've been damn afraid of it, and I still am, if I'm sincere.

Asumi hugged him and said:

- Master Anko always taught me to be prepared for everything… but she never talked to me about war, Chouji. Only someone who wishes for war from the bottom of his heart won't fear it. – Asumi stared at Chouji's eyes and said: - Couldn't that be the reason why you're treating your friends so bitterly? They can't take the blame for all this.

Chouji said:

- Yes, I know… it's just… I felt so angry just due to the fact of having them come to my door and show me that I'm running away from something I can't turn my back on… I feel as an asshole… - Shedding a bitter tear, he continued: - I'm a goddamn coward, who hates to hear the truth…

Asumi was shocked to listen to her boyfriend talking like that:

- What are you talking about, Chouji? That's not-

- It's true, and y-you know it – Chouji sobbed, and Asumi hugged him tenderly: -. I'm a goddamn fat bastard who hates being called as such, I refuge myself in my vices to evade the difficult situations, I play dumb to hide my fears, and I always run away, waiting for someone to protect me, or feel pity for me.

This flipped Asumi's switch, and she slapped Chouji's cheek, replying with strength:

- Shut the hell up, Chouji! You know better than that! You're not that at all!

Chouji saw her, disappointed, and Asumi stared at him seriously:

- You know it's true, Asumi, you know it…

- Then, if it's _so_ true, change it! – Chouji was surprised to listen to her serious plead: - You're afraid of the truth?! Then let it bash you, and understand it! That way, you won't fear it anymore!

Chouji shed another tear, and Asumi continued, hugging him again and crying:

- Are you afraid of war? Face it, so it ends up fast, and you'll have peace again!

Then, she whispered:

- If you hate difficult situations that much, ask for help, but don't evade, Chouji, not if you have to face them… you can count on me, okay?

Chouji, still crying, nodded, hugging Asumi delicately. She whispered again:

- I'm not feeling pity for you, Chouji, please, don't you ever think that again… I love you for real, and I hope you don't forget it at all; you're my favorite _stout_…

Chouji blushed, but not out of anger, when he heard Asumi refer to him as "stout":

- I love you too, Asumi… thank you…

Kakashi was eating salty meat in the stern, glaring to the east, saw how a hawk soared through the skies, coming from the northwestern lands. _It comes from the Wind Country._ It came down, casually, towards him, and, as it posed in his arm, he noticed that it had a note tied to its leg. He untied the note, giving the hawk some of the meat he was eating, and read the message. He saw it, and not only his red eye opened wide, but he also blushed under his mask.

_Flashback_

Anko ran to see Kakashi at the Hatake house. She was very upset, and some could say that she was about to cry. As she reached the house, she kicked the door open (quite her style, actually), and found Kakashi, packing all his stuff in a pocket. He said, quite carefree:

- Ah! Hey there, Anko!

- Is the word on the street true, Kakashi!?

- Shh, close the door, okay? I don't want the whole village to listen to this, you get me?

Anko saw Kakashi, understanding that this was serious, and closed the door. She asked again, after making a silence technique in the room:

- Is it true that you abandon the Hidden Leaf?

Kakashi stared at her with a compassionate look, and Anko shed a tear:

- But… but why?

- I'll side with Naruto rather than with Danzou, and you know that, Anko. On the other side – Kakashi saw the picture of Team 7: -, I still have a debt to pay to my master.

Anko, throwing herself towards him, I mean, _crumbling _over him, asked between sobs:

- And… why do you take other Jounin ninjas, and not me, Kakashi?

Kakashi blushed, kissing her purple hair, and whispered:

- My snake girl, I don't want you to join me… **yet**.

Anko's heart shook away the solid armor she forged around it since she was abandoned by Orochimaru. Kakashi, knowing that Amko was riding a rollercoaster of emotions, calmed her down:

- Let me bring Danzou's full attention towards me and my team, so you can find out as much as you can about Danzou's plans. Once you've done that, find any excuse, turn insane, and just flee unnoticed. We shall meet in the Hidden Sand Village.

Anko hugged Kakashi, blushed and crying, and he pressed the hug on the exuberant Snake Jounin. After this, he kissed her lips and left, leaving her crying in his hall.

_End of Flashback_

Kakashi read the message:

- "Dear Kakashi: where the hell are you? I'm bored to death over here, and also I can't stand this much heat. Gaara received me, and I'm getting a bit entertained with my old friend Kurenai, but it's not the same without you. With love: Anko Mitarashi".

Kakashi wrote an answer in a small scroll, tied it in one of the hawk's legs, showed him a picture of Anko, and the trained messenger hawk flew towards the northwest at high speed.

End of Chapter 31.

A/N: I must say it was some sort of a crappy episode, but I need to give it a rest, after the last episodes I presented, so please be patient. Finally I can give some insight about Chouji's weird behavior. It was hard, but he'll change, don't worry. Also, this KakashiAnko plot was an idea I had around my head lately, so I guess it wasn't a bad idea after all. Soon more action, I promise! Please review! =D


	32. Chapter 32: Orochimaru's Second Fall

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters, locations, and else. So ****don't screw me up.**

Chapter 32: Orochimaru's Second Fall.

Itachi, Konan, Kisame, Zetsu and Hatsuhana were reaching the Hidden Sand Village's gates. Naruto, Hinata, Gaara, Himawari and Anko were expecting them in the gates. As they met, Itachi held Naruto's hand, shaking it firmly. Then, Itachi and his group bowed respectfully towards Gaara. Anko saw them all and said, sarcastically:

- Well, well, the Hell froze over now! Where are your tunics?

Itachi said, seeing her snake-like glare:

- You're still troubled by Orochimaru's Heaven Curse Mark, am I right, Anko?

Itachi's emphasis in her name, as if it wasn't enough with what he just told her, made Anko freeze. Her life had changed completely after a week in the Hidden Sand already; but now Itachi's words turned her into a nervous wreck, and Konan's words nade her stumble and fall on her knees:

- We can take care of that, _if that's your wish_. We're willing to do this if this can help us crush Orochimaru's attempts to spread around the world.

Anko cried for the second time in this year. Kisame asked, meanwhile:

- When shall we meet, lord Kazekage?

Gaara said:

- The rendezvous point will be the Restaurant of the Dragon and the Toad. We shall meet there as you're done with Anko. In the meantime, welcome to the Hidden Sand Village.

Zetsu took Hatsuhana's hand and entered the village. One by one, the rest of the group got in, and Anko cried tears of joy. As they reached the Kazekage's building, the group broke apart. Gaara and Himawari returned to the office, accompanied by Konan and Kisame. Zetsu and Hatsuhana were hungry and thirsty, and Naruto and Hinata led them to their restaurant. Anko stayed with Itachi, and he said:

- I could take the Heaven Curse Mark from my brother's body before I died, with the Mangekyou Sharingan. Now, with my new Doujutsu, I guess this will be a lot easier, Anko.

- I understand. – Anko's answer was still mixed between incredulousness and joy, but Itachi just said:

- I shall need a closed room.

Anko offered:

- We should go to the apartment where I'm staying over here. No one should bother us over there.

Itachi was guided by Anko, and, as they reached her apartment, he said:

- Anko, please sit down, and show me your mark.

Anko took off the jacket, a bit ashamed, as she only had her excessively revealing full-fishnet shirt, but Itachi could keep his eyes only on the curse mark put on her neck. He activated his Hikari Sharingan and said:

- You've worked really hard to even avoid the **level one** of the Heaven Curse Mark, but it's still becoming strong. We should fight against this mark at once.

Anko was surprised:

- _We_ should?

Itachi touched the curse mark with a finger full of chakra, and activated his Hikari Tsukiyomi, and all of a sudden, he appeared beside Anko in a muddy and foggy place. Anko saw herself beside Itachi, and, right ahead of her, she saw Orochimaru with **another** Anko right beside her, but this one had her curse mark activated at level one. Anko saw her, angry and horrified, and Orochimaru said to her, grinning wickedly:

- Come here, Anko, you know that you want this.

Anko saw Itachi, and he was going to talk when Orochimari raised his voice eagerly:

- Embrace my power, and allow me, _your master_, to grasp the Sharingan! Fulfill our desires, Anko!

Itachi said:

- If you let that Anko get close to you and merge with you, I won't have another option than slaying you.

Anko nodded and started arming hand seals, not noticing that the other Anko was also doing the exact same hand seals. As she threw her snakes to attack, the other Anko threw dark purple snakes to counter her attack, destroying it easily, and forcing Anko to dodge the attack. Itachi said:

- Anko, stop.

Both Anko and her clone stopped. Itachi warned:

- That Anko knows all of your techniques, and is capable of executing them with a lot more power than you.

Anko asked:

- Gues I should've seen that coming, but, will her stamina be greater than mine?

Itachi replied, seeing both Anko and her cursed counterpart with his Hikari Tsukiyomi:

- Not exactly.

Anko started thinking, and then she asked:

- How about her willpower? Would it be stronger than my own?

Itachi smiled, replying:

- That Anko has no such thing.

Anko grinned at her counterpart, yelling with all of her will:

- Then _she_ is not Anko Mitarashi!!

Anko pointed at her surprised double, and this one melted, turning into mud. Orochimaru laughed, drawing a sword from his mouth; a sword they all knew about:

- Very clever, Anko, my pupil. I see you don't want to obey me willingly. Guess it's time for me to force my control over you, with the Kusanagi sword.

Itachi activated the Hikari Susano'o, and his eyes turned bright blue and red. Surrounding both him and Anko, the great armor of the God of the Earth and the Seas showed up. Susano'o's sword, Totsuka no Tsurugi, shined as it came out from nowhere, and Orochimaru, remembering the first time he was attacked by it, jumped to strike at the Uchiha. Itachi defended himself fiercely, and Anko saw how Totsuka broke Kusanagi, piercing through Orochimaru's torso. Itachi yelled:

- Now, Anko! Decapitate him!

Anko jumped immediately towards her master, kunai in hand, and cut through the cervical section of the Snake Lord's spine. Then, thirsty for revenge, she slashed and cut off the neck, and let the head fall to the ground. At Itachi's signal, Anko jumped back to his side, throwing the kunai towards Orochimaru's dead body. Itachi's eyes turned bright gold and red, and Amaterasu's golden flames showed up, burning every single trace of the Sannin. As it all ended, Anko noticed how the whole place changed, and the mist around them started dissipating.

In that moment, both Anko and Itachi woke up, and the Uchiha ninja noticed how the seal in her neck disappeared completely. He said, content:

- Ready you are, Anko. Let's go to the meeting point.

Anko felt a lot relieved, as if a great weight was taken off her shoulders. She nodded, and walked with him towards the meeting point.

As they reached the Restaurant of the Dragon and the Toad, they saw Zetsu and Hatsuhana eating pleasantly in there, chatting. Then, Itachi noticed that the waiters were all Naruto's and Hinata's shadow clones. They sat in the same table Zetsu was, and then the rest of the group showed up: Gaara, wearing his sand barrel on his back, Himawari, wearing a sword in her belt, Konan and Kisame. The last one smirked at Zetsu and said:

- You couldn't wait for us, couldn't you?

The black Zetsu said:

- These brats cook like heaven. We couldn't avoid it.

Gaara said, as a Naruto handed the menu to the recently arrived group:

- Very well. Now that we're here, tell me what the hell is going on. – Turning to a free Hinata, he said: - Excuse me, tell the chefs to come here, please.

The Hinata clone nodded, running to the kitchen, and a while later, the original Naruto and Hinata joined the table. As they sat, Gaara asked the question he asked before again, and Naruto explained:

- Madara Uchiha has a large amount of years, who knows how many, desiring for revenge from the Hidden Leaf. He's made himself with eight Hidden Beasts, and he's got Sasuke, who's also eager for revenge against the Leaf for what they forced Itachi to do.

Gaara, interested about the situation, kept listening. Itachi spoke now:

- Madara wants his revenge on the Senju Clan, which Tsunade the Sannin belonged to directly, and to whoch Naruto is related indirectly. That's why he decided to kill two birds with one stone, giving Sasuke his "chance for revenge" against the Elders who planned the massacre of his entire family, executed by me, while he uses him to slay Naruto, eradicating the Senju Clan and obtaining what he needs to reform the Ten-Tailed Beast.

Himawari was horrified, and Konan explained:

- I understand that the Kages know of Madara's plan to create the Juubi, seal it in his body, and use the power of the Mugen Tsukiyomi to project his eyes on the moon.

Gaara nodded, and Kisame said:

- Well, Konan and Itachi approved Naruto's efforts to impede Sasuke from becoming a simple puppet, and approved for his search for the true peace, the understanding and the comprehension between the people. Zetsu has already found the way to bring his Clan back to life, and I want to rest. That's why we broke apart from Madara Uchiha, and we've joined Naruto.

Gaara saw Himawari's doubtful expression, which he knew he also had, and said:

- Well, it's all very nice and happy. But there are a lot of loopholes in that statement, and I want to dissipate the doubts right now.

They all nodded. Himawari asked:

- First of all, if this is a problem involving the Senju and Uchiha Clans, and you two, Naruto and Itachi, have decided to forge a Blood and Chakra Pact, to try and avoid the annihilation of both Clans, so as to achieve the so desperately needed understanding to achieve the real peace, why to include Hinata?

Itachi glared at Naruto and Hinata, asking for their approval. As they nodded, he answered:

- There are several reasons for including her. First of all, Hinata is the only one within the whole Hyuuga Clan capable of loving, and, particularly, capable of giving true love to the last member of the Senju Clan, the so rejected and hated host of the Nine-Tailed Fox. That's why Hinata is powerful enough to protect, take care of and fight beside Naruto, and that makes her deserve, as far as I can say, her place in this Pact, as the one who will keep it united.

Konan continued the idea:

- On the other side, the Hyuuga Clan is rotten on the inside, just like the Uchiha Clan was in its time. The ones who are now holding the power in it are power-thirsty elders, more worried about their own hides than for the growth, in freedom and strength, of their Clan. Hinata is the true restorer of the Clan, and as such, her participation in this alliance will grant her not only the strength, the support and the self-esteem she requires to do such feat, but also it will allow her to be happy.

The white Zetsu spoke then:

- Well then, any other question?

Gaara asked:

- I also understand that you join us to fight Danzou. Why would you do that?

Konan spoke first:

- Because he lives of the war, and thanks to him I lost my two only friends, so as a lot of loyal comrades.

Kisame continued:

- Because he tried to kill me several times since long ago, and I'm sick and tired of him and his slaves.

Itachi replied:

- Because he backstabbed the Uchiha Clan, erasing it, and sinking its survivors in the absolute darkness, so he could possess the Sharingan.

Hinata said:

- Because he backstabbed the Hyuuga Clan, stealing a long-lost Byakugan, and using it for his own interests, against the Clan's will.

Naruto said:

- Because he backstabbed the Senju Clan, assassinating Tsunade the Sannin, a great Hokage, for his lust for power and war.

Zetsu's both halves talked at the same time:

- Because he's manipulating my home village, the Hidden Grass, and turning its people into his personal ninja reserve of slaves.

Hatsuhana took Hetsu's hand, saying:

- Isn't that enough reason to despise his actions and desiring to put him down?

Gaara saw them and said:

- Very well, I see you have motives. But, one last question.

Everyone's attention was totally drawn to him. He said, serious:

- Why coming back to me, after all you've done to me?

Konan spoke:

- I can understand all the regrets you have towards us, lord Kazekage; I know that forgiving something like we did to you is impossible. Even so, we've come to you, because we trust in Naruto's determination, and he trusts you more than anyone.

Gaara, frowning, said:

- So, you just ally with me because of Naruto…

Himawari noticed Gaara's worries, so as Naruto and Hinata. Itachi, noticing the tensions in the meeting, replied:

- We also ally you to try and correct all the actions we've done up to now.

Kisame continued:

- We caused fear, death and hatred to innocents. If there's someone who can undo that, or, more certainly, who has the duty to undo that, I guess it's us.

The white Zetsu said:

- We've fallen too deep, and we've dragged too many people with us; all these people keep tied tight in this chain of hatred, stuck to us, wanting to murder us.

The black Zetsu said:

- But we believe that, if we stop sinking and we start elevating ourselves, every single one of those persons chained to us can rise and break free.

Konan finished:

- You, lord Kazekage, Naruto and his friends, Sasuke, many ninjas and civilians, all of you are chained to us with hatred, regret and fear. I guess it's time to break the chains and start the comprehension.

Gaara saw them, and he couldn't find the most minimal sign of deceive or cheat in that argumentation. _It wasn't prepared to convince me, they all seem to feel what they say deep in their hearts._ Suddenly, Hinata shivered and activated her Byakugan:

- There's someone watching us.

Itachi and Kisame turned to where Hinata was watching. Kisame felt how Samehada startled, and he took the sword firmly, waving it in that particular direction Hinata was staring at. The sword absorbed chakra, and Madara Uchiha appeared in a corner, surprised:

- So, we've got the whole team, and a **living dead**…

Itachi saw how Madara started making hand seals. _He wants to activate Akatsuki's rings._ Madara, realizing that nothing happened as he finished, started arming hand seals again, taking a deep breath, and then releasing the "Uchiha trademarked" Grand Fireball Technique. Kisame acted immediately, using a water technique, helped by Hinata, to stop the fireball from burning down the place. Madara saw himself forced to use his Mangekyou Sharingan, but what he saw in Itachi's eyes scared the hell out of him:

- W-w-what is that??

Madara started feeling how the blood came out of his eyes, and his mask broke, revealing his elderly face. His left eye was also revealing the activated Mangekyou Sharingan, so as the dripping blood. Then, he started crying some sort of white, oozy liquid (like latex, perhaps) that turned to black as Itachi activated his Doujutsu. Madara cried in pain:

- What… what is that?!

Itachi deactivated his Hikari Sharingan, noticing that the old man was in no condition to attack:

- This, old hag, is something you cannot fight against…

Madara, spitting petroleum, activated his vortex technique, fleeing from that place. Gaara saw the situation, understanding all of the argumentation, and said:

- Hmm… who knows how much had that Madara Uchiha seen, but now I think you say the truth. They'll come again, so we shall hide you until the time comes.

Konan said:

- Madara won't attack so fast.

Itachi said:

- His sight will start degenerating again, so as his organs. I think that, after all, that fake light will start affecting him. He won't come "until he feels better", and he'll start feeling worse every time he tries to say my name.

The black Zetsu said:

- I hope the group gets here fast.

Gaara nodded, and the group retired. The Kazekage had granted them a group of rooms in a small inn, allowing them to stay for free until the "d" day came.

End of Chapter 32.

A/N: Merry Christmas to all of you! This is my small gift for you! Please enjoy review!


	33. Chapter 33: Control and Despair

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters. ****Any likelihood with other stories around this website is just plain coincidence.**

Chapter 33: Control and Despair.

Somewhere inside the Fire Country, in a complex hidden in a valley surrounded by several icy mountains, a large group of ninjas made their usual training and recruitment of children, teenagers and adult shinobi into the ranks of ANBU Root. The daily activities were as common: Taijutsu training, Genjutsu training, Ninjutsu training, special tactics and ANBU strategy training, weapons training, poison and medical training, arrival and recruitment (with all what that meant from this point on).

Danzou was in his office, dealing with his usual paperwork as ANBU Root's leader, and also with the devilish paperwork he had as Hokage. He was stating how things went according to plan, and even the great losses he had didn't stop him to have the upper hand in the end… as far as he could tell.

He placed that powerful Sealing technique in the Hokage's office, using his scroll seals with a combined usage of the Shadow Clone Technique, the Weapon Scroll technique he copied from Tenten when one of his agents spied on her weaponry skills and the Byakugan. Even so, he was mad when he learned that Kakashi Hatake and Mighty Guy were smart enough to see through it all and take that important information without activating the sealed trap.

Even so, Danzou had only left expendable copies of each document, and, of course, have only left information that would allow those traitor bastards to have a glimpse to the point of the iceberg. The world would be scared enough with that information he just "granted them", but when the real deal would show up, the Elemental Nations would soil their pants and bow before him.

All the while, the papers he signed just made his expression change: sometimes he grinned, sometimes he just sighed, and with a few ones he just became angry. He was quite glad to know that his "diplomatic skills" worked so well, as he was granted large amounts of money _and_ **fresh meat** for Root's ranks from different minor countries' Feudal Lords in exchange for protection.

On the other side, the situation with the raise of the security in the frontiers just made him become quite serious. The Great Nations and some of the minor ones have already taken measures to keep their lands safe from his ninjas' raids, what led him to think that it was already time to make his major moves.

Last, but not least, a couple of fresh news had arrived to his hands, and just by glaring at them made him arouse in anger.

The first one was: put simply, the treacherous Twelve of the Leaf were alive, and reunited, in the Hidden Sand Village. This just meant that Naruto Uzumaki, the last of the Jinchuuriki, was still alive.

The second one was just worse: some members of Akatsuki were seen, without their black-with-red-cloud tunics, protecting the Nine-Tails' host. If Akatsuki was also allied to those damn brats, then Danzou's problems would just rise to the skies.

When he gathered his strategists, all he got were warnings, and not any single solution. Danzou would have to make that move he was so desperate to make, but doing it so soon didn't bring any pleasure to him, as it seemed to be a sign of despair. After taking a breath, he decided that it was time to act. He made a couple of hand signs, and his two agents Fu and Torune appeared in the office with smoke clouds. Torune spoke:

- Yes, my lord.

Danzou saw them and said:

- My friends, I shall need to start already. Fu, I want you to enter the Hyuuga compound and extract the Hyuuga's secret eye technique scrolls. I want them here before tomorrow morning.

Fu bowed and said:

- Very well, sir.

Danzou saw Torune as Fu left with another smoke cloud:

- Torune, I want you to enter the Uchiha compound and steal the Uchiha's list of eye techniques; same deadline for you.

Torune bowed and left with another puff of smoke. _It's time to start and explore what I can do with these mixed eyes._ Danzou was quite eager to start his plans, and his army was growing larger.

All the while, in the Hidden Leaf Village, a young child with a scarf around his neck was hiding in the tall branches of a tree, watching how his house was being burned down. He saw his father, his mother, and his younger brothers taken by ANBU Root ninjas, and he already didn't know what to do. _Those ninjas were too powerful for me to defeat. If only the __**boss**__ was here…_

Konohamaru Sarutobi started running to the Ninja Academy, trying to find someone who could clear the situation for a bit, when he ran towards a very pretty girl he knew, with dark brown hair and lavender eyes:

- H-Hanabi… Hyuuga? Are you okay?

Hanabi Hyuuga saw the young Sarutobi ninja, and she realized that he came out from a tough fight, just like her. She usually blushed when she saw the prankster kid, and also they used to hang out sometimes, when they didn't have any missions or training. But now, Hanabi was sad, and she ran to hug Konohamaru:

- I-I'm fine, Konohamaru! What is going on?

Konohamaru replied, returning the gesture concernedly:

- I was about to search for my teammates but they aren't home. I guess those Root bastards took them away.

Hanabi was worried and scared:

- I-I don't know what to do, Konohamaru-kun!!

- Let's go and search for master Iruka at the Academy! He must know what's going on around, Hanabi-chan!

Hanabi nodded and followed Konohamaru inside the Academy.

Once inside, the sight was terrible, some of the teachers, and also some of the young children students were dead on the ground, and a group of six Root shinobi was surrounding Iruka Umi-no, who defended himself with a kunai. Hanabi activated her bloodline trait, jumping to attack, while Konohamaru armed hand seals and bit his fingertip, summoning an armored chimpanzee who had a couple of gauntlets with long claws. The chimpanzee said:

- Hey, Konohamaru! What's going on now?

Konohamaru replied:

- Help us get our master Iruka free from those Root ninjas, lord Kuroshoujou!

Kuroshoujou saw the Root ninjas and jumped to attack.

Hanabi Hyuuga had a rough time when she tried to jump to one of the Root ninjas, as it appeared to have some sort of absurdly fast Taijutsu style that could outmatch the Gentle Fist easily, but the assistance she got from Kuroshoujou was enough to take him and his partners down. Iruka, taking a deep breath as he saw his students handle the situation, sighed in relief:

- Hanabi! Konohamaru! I thought I was going to die! Thank you!

Hanabi said:

- No problem, master Iruka! Do you know what's going on around here?!

Konohamaru said:

- They killed teachers and students! And are wreaking havoc in the Clans!

Iruka, seeing the determination in the kids, who already carried backpacks with their stuff, said:

- What's going on here is that we're leaving to the Hidden Sand if we want to live, kids! We'll meet in the gates in one hour, no headbands!

Both kids agreed, and ran towards the gates, accompanied by the protective Kuroshoujou.

As they reached the gates, not even needing to say that they had to fight their way there, they saw that their teacher was late. Hanabi, smiling as Kuroshoujou disappeared, blushed as she said:

- T-thank you, Konohamaru-kun… you saved me…

Konohamaru, grinning shyly, blushed as he replied:

- Oh, come on, Hanabi-chan! It wasn't that much help either!

Hanabi said, quite nostalgic:

- I want to see my sister already…

Konohamaru smiled at her, making her blush furiously, just like her sister:

- Chill out; your sister is with the "boss" now, so she'll be fine.

Hanabi returned the gesture, making Konohamaru blush. _I guess it'd be too much if an annoying kid like me fell in love with the Hyuuga's new heiress. It's enough with Naruto, but… _Konohamaru stared at Hanabi, as she blushed even deeper. _But she's so cute…_

Iruka showed up in that same moment, and interrupted the kids:

- Well, kids, let's go! We can't be traced, so let's move!

The trio left the village, with the uncertainty of thinking if this was temporary or permanent.

After several hours of traveling in the night, Iruka saw the kids' tired faces and their bruises, and said:

- Well, let's set up camp. It's time to get some rest. I shall make a Genjutsu to protect the camp.

Konohamaru armed hand seals again, biting his fingertip, and summoned four small monkeys. He asked them to keep guard on the camp, and they scattered. As the Genjutst was made, and the monkey guards could recognize it, Iruka went to sleep in his tent.

Hanabi didn't bring a tent within her stuff, what meant she and Konohamaru would have to share a tent, and this made the Hyuuga girl blush like mad. She helped Konohamaru unpack and arm the tent, and, as she saw him, she was surprised. She wasn't taught to use the Hawk Summoning of her own Clan yet, and no one she knew from her generation handled techniques as powerful as Konohamaru's. _Konohamaru must be very powerful, even for being a Sarutobi… and he looks so good when he's merry…_

Hanabi realized that she was staring at Konohamaru, and he had noticed her obvious staring, chuckling as she blushed. He said, teasing:

- You're just like your sister with brother Naruto, Hanabi-chan! But at least she hides behind a tree, or a wall!

Hanabi replied, blushing furiously:

- N-N-No! That's n-not true, K-Konohamaru-kun! Sister Hinata and I are different!

- You're stuttering just like her, heh, heh!

Hanabi, blushed to a new shade of red, felt lightheaded and fainted, falling to sleep. _Yes, she's quite a lot like Hinata, even if she doesn't want to admit it… and I think that's cute, heh, heh!_

Somewhere in the world, in a hideout built inside a cave, Sasuke would wake up once more, vomiting and crying petroleum. Karin discovered that, every time Sasuke woke up, he had his Mangekyou Sharingan activated, and he cried petroleum. In that moment, Juugo opened the room and said:

- Lord Madara needs assistance!

Sasuke woke up, running behind Juugo, and Karin followed him closely. As they arrived, they saw Suigetsu holding the Uchiha elder, who spitted petroleum and something like white glue. The weird thing was, he had no mask, and Sasuke noticed that, even with the cut-off hair, he was just identical to the statue of him in the Valley of the End (Of course, with a lot more wrinkles in his face, due to the possible age Madara could hace). He coughed, still feeling petroleum inside his throat, and asked:

- *cough*! *cough*! What the *cough* hell happened to you?

Madara, lying on his knees, said, out of rage:

- That bastard-!

In the same moment he tried to say the name, he started coughing hardly, vomiting and dropping petroleum and white ooze again through his eyes and nose. _I can't even say his name! Curse you! I curse you a thousand times!_ Sasuke saw him and said, making a sign to his team:

- Well, I see you're quite weak now…

Juugo, Suigetsu and Karin grappled Madara, immobilizing him in his sudden moment of weakness. Sasuke put his fingers on Madara's eyelids, gouging his eyes out. Madara screamed in pain, not believing that this was happening so soon. He ended up losing his eyes at Sasuke's hands, and the last thing he felt was how Suigetsu's stolen blade chopped up his head. Sasuke saw Karin and said to her:

- Get rid of those eyes… I want no one to have them…

Karin threw them to the ground, smashing them with a rock. Sasuke smiled at her and said:

- Now, we shall meet with our new tool, in the Hidden Sand Village.

Suigetsu said, yawning:

- Yeah, sure, but let's get some rest first; I'm drowsy, and sure as hell you are too…

Juugo nodded, and Karin said:

- Let's go to rest then. Come here, Sasuke-kun…

Sasuke held Karin's hand and got up, feeling how she kissed his cheek. Sasuke made sure to clean his mouth before he returned the gesture to her lips, and said, smiling:

- Come on, Karin-chan; tomorrow will be a tough day.

Everyonw left to their rooms. Sasuke, as he started sleeping, heard Itachi's _annoyingly_ familiar voice in his head:

- Congratulations, Sasuke, you didn't join the Fake Light…

Sasuke replied bluntly and with poison:

- I told you already that my only objective was in the darkness… and if you think that you can stop me from doing it then I dare you try it…

Itachi laughed soundly:

- I'll have plenty of time tomorrow to prove that I can stop your recklessness, Sasuke… rest well, please, so we can finally have a true fight tomorrow…

Sasuke laughed evilly:

- You are **dead**, Itachi, you can do nothing else…

Itachi smiled hideously:

- Yes, _I can_, because _you allow me to_… Good night.

Itachi disappeared slowly, with his hideous smile and his Sharingan eyes still visible in Sasuke's mind's darkness. Sasuke noticed how Itachi's eyes changed to the Hikari Sharingan again, and he heard him say:

- You've taken the path of the Total Darkness, and you were wise enough to not sink yourself within the dark power when you had it in your grasp. Now, it's your time to climb up to the true light, Sasuke…

- My path is in the darkness… when we shall meet again, I'll show you that I still hate you, Itachi, and I'll make you stop blabbering about that "true light", as I'll bring you back to darkness, so I can kill you again in hell, the same way I killed you here…

Itachi's eyes turned silver, as they started vanishing:

- You **didn't** kill me, Sasuke… I died in front of you, but you were just too terrified to do anything against my dying figure… never forget that…

Itachi finally vanished within a bright gray light, leaving Sasuke's mind back into darkness. Sasuke, as he got out of that unearthly conversation, started remembering the scene of Itachi's death during their fight, and he burst out in anger when he realized his older brother was right… once again.

End of Chapter 33.

A/N: Name time: Kuroshoujou (黒猩々) means "chimpanzee" (I know, I ran out of ideas, but the hell! The only known monkey summoning was Enka, and I wasn't going to make him appear so soon). Please review and enjoy!


	34. Chapter 34: Uchiha versus Uchiha

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'd own any other c****haracter rather than that brat.**

Chapter 34: Uchiha versus Uchiha.

A new day started in the ANBU Root complex, and two ninjas were running, one with his backpack full of scrolls, and the other one with a written table in his hands.

Danzou, who was secretly checking some scrolls, suddenly heard the door being knocked. He activated his Byakugan and said:

- Come in, Fu, Torune.

The couple of ninjas entered the office, bowing to their chief and Hokage. Danzou said:

- I really hope you could do your assignment with not many issues.

Torune spoke first:

- The Uchiha compound was completely sealed with traps, sir. It was a lot difficult to get in. But I could get this for you, sir.

Danzou saw how Torune handed him the Uchiha Table of Ancient and Forbidden Techniques. Danzou was quite pleased, and then he turned to Fu. Fu said:

- I had to fight a bit, but the Branch Hyuuga ninjas weren't an issue for me. I got the Forbidden Scrolls of the Hyuuga for you, sir.

Fu handed him the Hyuuga's Forbidden Scrolls, and Danzou started smirking. He said then:

- Thanks a lot, my friends. I see that I can trust you still. You can take a break; your pay is already deposited in your bank accounts.

Fu and Torune bowed and left with a smoke cloud. Danzou activated his Sharingan, and with both scrolls he started reading the Hyuuga Scrolls. His eyes almost popped out from the surprising things he was reading, and he decided to use a little secret he kept usually for himself: the Mangekyou Sharingan. As he read the Uchiha Table with his left eye, he grinned, as he realized that both documents told the same thing.

There was a forbidden technique that bound both Clans since their creation. Danzou read the story of how the older son of the Rikudo Sage, after he inherited his father's bloodline trait, he decided that it was too powerful and dangerous to be attained by anyone, so he divided it into two Doujutsu traits that became the main weapons of the Uchiha and the Hyuuga, leaving the possibility of having the original and complete Doujutsu to appear on Earth once every two generations, after a deal with the Gods.

But now Danzou saw that both lineages kept the way to reproduce it to a lower level in their secret scrolls, also being forced to ban it as a forbidden technique. Danzou's eyes reflected all the lust for power he had as he whispered to himself, realizing that this power would be enough for him to defeat the whole world in a war by himself, without the need of an army:

- I… I'll need no armies anymore… the Rin'negan is in my grasp…

Danzou chuckled excitedly, as he started checking those documents thoroughly, locking the door to his office. He'd have to make new strategies, and also start a new search, but this only meant that he was going to give a giant leap ahead of his enemies.

In the Hidden Sand Village, Gaara saw the search party arriving to the gates. Naruto and Hinata had instant ramen for breakfast beside the gates, and Anko waited beside Kurenai. The ex-Akatsuki ninjas watched the arriving group either. Temari spoke first:

- I'm here to report a mission accomplished, brother.

Gaara saw the group that was beside him: Kakashi, Guy, Shizune, Yamato, Hagane, Dorou and Kirimaru were all right. Tenten and Neji walked together, smiling. Lee was accompanied by a white-haired girl, and Gaara noticed that the girl's eyes showued the same youthful spirit he had. Ino and Sai were handheld. Kiba and Sakura were riding in Akamaru's back, and the dog seemed to be quite tired. Chouji came with his known girlfriend, Asumi Kawamoto, the feared disciple of Anko. Shino and Maki Yamada bowed to greet Gaara, and Shikamaru, seeing the group in the gates, grinned sarcastically while saying:

- Hmmm, I see you didn't even miss us.

Naruto, matching Shikamaru's grin with one of his own, replied:

- Neither did you.

Anko ran towards Kakashi, hugging him firmly, and he returned the gesture tenderly, while the rest of the group glanced at them with weird looks. Gaara said:

- It's really good to see you guys. Now, Sasuke will come in any time with Madara Uchiha; we still need to discuss this "little business" that both wanted to.

The group entered the Hidden Sand Village, and then they walked towards the Kazekage's office. As they reached the building, Himawari intercepted them, nervous:

- Sasuke's Hawk Team! They arrived!

Gaara was already prepared, but Itachi replied:

- Let him come out and follow us. I'll face him.

Itachi joined the ex-Akatsuki group and said:

- This fight is mine. Take care of his team – Turning to Naruto and Hinata, he said: -. I'll need your support, guys.

Hinata asked, serious:

- What shall we do?

- You'll come with me. Hinata, you will support me against his Fire techniques, and you'll also provide me assistance in Taijutsu combat with your clones. Naruto, you'll support me against his Electricity techniques, you'll help Hinata with the Taijutsu support, and do as much as you can to press his buttons. I shall attack his darkness and transmit him the light.

Itachi glanced towards Naruto and said:

- I don't know yet if Madara is still alive or not, but apparently he's not there. Even so, don't use the Nine-Tails' chakra until you make sure he's not alive anymore.

Naruto nodded, and then he heard Kyuubi in his thoughts:

- It's weird to hear him talking like that, kid, but he's right. You don't want me to be used by any of the two Sharingan. They could throw you out of balance to the point of killing you… and if you go down, I'll go down with you…

Naruto nodded again and replied to Itachi:

- Kyuubi agrees. Let's do this.

In the Kazekage's office, Sasuke was quite uneasy, so as his platoon. This last hour of waiting was taking its toll on the Hawk team. _Suigetsu is dehydrating like crazy, Karin is unusually worried, and Juugo has been struggling against his Curse Mark since we arrived here._ Karin, sniffing the air, said:

- They're here. They're many, and they have unexpected company.

Sasuke noticed Karin's concerned voice and told his team to crawl in the ground to hide, while he took a look around through one of the windows of the office. Then his expression changed to a mixture between rage, impotence and confusion, as he was looking at an image he'd never thought to see again in his life:

- Itachi?! This must be a Genjutsu!!

Sasuke activated his Sharingan, hoping that it was nothing more than a simple disguise, or a way to lure him out to the unsafe place, but then he saw Itachi activate the Doujutsu he revealed Sasuke in his nightmares, glaring at him directly. Sasuke, startled, replied:

- This is real, damn it! Let's get down!

Karin worried a lot more, noticing his concern, while Suigetsu drank water like mad. Juugo, finally able to defeat the Curse Mark, opened a window and jumped out of the office, followed by Sasuke, and then by Karin and Suigetsu. The large group outside saw the Hawk platoon, and Shikamaru spoke:

- Hmmm, there's someone missing over here…

Sasuke replied rudely:

- He's not a threat anymore, I took care of him.

Neji, not exactly trusting Sasuke's reply, activated his Byakugan, and searched for Madara Uchiha's chakra in the whole village, not finding it at all. Itachi said then:

- We shall fight, but far from here. Follow me.

- No – Sasuke's voice turned strong: -. Right here, right now, Itachi. Or is it that you're concerned about the Hidden Sand Villagers?

Itachi said, surprising even Gaara:

- Yes, I'm worried about the Hidden Sand villagers. This business only concerns us; no one else needs to become affected.

Sasuke thought, saw his platoon and said, after seeing them all nod:

- All right then. Let's go. I want to kill you once and for all, Itachi, so I can fulfill my final revenge.

Naruto chuckled softly and evilly. Sasuke, not paying any attention, said:

- I'll slay the heads of the Elders' Council, and then I'll kill that Hokage bastard, Danzou. Then I'll spill my revenge over the Hidden Leaf Village.

Naruto burst out in laughter now, making Sasuke arouse in anger while he ran to the outer regions of the village. Sasuke's groups followed him, so as Gaara's group. Sakura asked:

- What the hell is Naruto doing?!

Hinata, also grinning evilly, replied with a whisper:

- He's taunting him, heh, heh, as the awesome prankster he is.

Itachi grinned too, and Sasuke yelled:

- What's so funny, you fool?!

Naruto laughed even more evilly and with more strength. Kyuubi herself got worried:

- What the hell are you doing, Naruto?!

- Lend me the most evil laugh you have!

Kyuubi understood:

- Ha! Taunting Sasuke?

- Must press his buttons as much as possible, so Itachi can dig deep into his heart and enlighten his heart.

Kyuubi nodded, and Naruto's laugh turned bone-chilling evil. Sasuke aroused in anger more and more, and Itachi breathed quietly. _This way, he'll sip up sooner or later. That's very clever, Naruto._ As they reached the place, Sasuke jumped immediately towards Naruto, slicing him as he turned his back on him. They all got worried about this treacherous attack, excepting Hinata, who grinned as she heard Naruto's _and_ Kyuubi's hideous laugh. Sasuke yelled, enraged:

- WHAT'S THIS THING THAT MAKES YOU LAUGH SO MUCH, YOU DISGRACED BASTARD?!?!

The voice laughed a lot more, after that, from Naruto's fallen body, a ghost lifted up with the shape of a black fox, as tall as Sasuke. Sasuke activated his Sharingan, and realized that the fox _also_ had the Sharingan. This made him think:

- Genjutsu? Ha!

Sasuke used his chakra to get rid of that Genjutsu, but he realized that it was still there. The Sharingan in the eyes of the fox got closer and closer, and Sasuke felt the air he was breathing. There was sand in that air, and it was all charged with chakra. _Earth Genjutsu… ha!_

Sasuke armed hand seals with great difficulty, and the fox was already face to face with him. Its black fur changed to a bright white tone, and Sasuke activated his Chidori, running it through his whole body. That worn him out, but then he realized, too late, that Chidori was completely useless; the chakra used for the Genjutsu wasn't Earth chakra, but Air chakra. The fox jumpd and entered his body before he could do anything to avoid it.

Itachi, Naruto and Hinata passed out, just like Sasuke, and the respective partners of each group watched over the fainted ninjas. Suigetsu saw that Kisame was there, and replied, upset:

- You again!

Kisame grinned evilly:

- Hey, young one. I thought I wouldn't see Zabuza's blade again.

- You're making fun of me again, Kisame?

- Why should I make fun of a candidate to inherit Samehada, Suigetsu?

This stopped Suigetsu on his feet in shock. He asked:

- H-how is that thing of **inheriting Samehada**? I don't get it.

Kisame replied:

- We can fight a bit if you want, you know, so you can show me your strength. But then, after helping the kid I plan on going back to the Hidden Mist Village and retire myself. I'm too old for the job already.

Suigetsu grinned evilly:

- Then, let me show you my strength!

The two renegade ninjas from the Hidden Mist jumped away from the rest, starting a combat. Kiba noticed that Sakura was checking vital signs in the whole group, and asked:

- What's going on, Sakura?

Sakura turned to him and replied, smiling:

- There's no problem, their vital signs are stable.

Kiba was calmed for that moment. _Well, she's back again as a great medic ninja._ Sakura, on the other side, saw Sasuke lying on the floor, next to his two partners: Karin and Juugo. _Who would think that I wanted something with that bastard… please, Kiba, forgive me…_

Suigetsu threw slash after slash and Kisame could barely dodge. Suigetsu sweated like mad, and seemed to be tired with that uprising heat. In that moment, Kisame stated:

- You're losing water too fast, kid. How about rehydrating?

Suigetsu growled, but Kisame was right. He replied:

- Heah, I have to.

Kisame grinned, drawing his own water cooler:

- Well, then, let's drink some water.

Inside Sasuke's mind, Itachi, Hinata and Naruto faced the "Uchiha avenger", who was already worn out. He attacked fiercely, with his Great Fire Dragon technique, abd his attack was countered by one of Hinata's, who created a huge water wave in front of Itachi. Seeing the Hyuuga girl's elemental chakra, he used his Chidori Stream, seeing himself completely weakened against a blizzard generated by Naruto. Sasuke, understanding, said:

- So **you** were the one who used the Genjutsu, you jackass?! Ha! You amaze me!

Naruto kept laughing wickedly, and Sasuke, completely mad, jumped to attack, while Naruto and Hinata created Shadow Clones:

- Why the hell you laugh so much?! Damn it!!

Naruto, seeing how both his and Hinata's clones performed, and how outrageously Sasuke fought, replied:

- I laugh of your stupid revenge, Sasuke…

This surprised Sasuke, making him take a kick in his stomach, and fall a couple of meters behind. Hinata continued:

- You're doing the right things for the wrong reasons …

Itachi said:

- And you know very well that that's not the revenge they fear. If you kill them out of rage, they'll win, Sasuke.

Sasuke asked, still enraged:

- And what is the revenge they fear so much?

Itachi was the one to answer:

- That the Uchiha Clan recovers the light they lost centuries ago. And with the Uchiha Clan I mean you, my young brother.

Sasuke grinned evilly:

- That doesn't work for me at all, and you know it. They deserve to die, and the Clan will regain its shape in the darkness, where it seemed to belong since the beginning of times.

Sasuke activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, and Itachi activated his silver-colored Hikari Sharingan. Itachi commanded:

- Get out of here, both of you!

Both kids nodded, disappearing from that place. Sasuke's ears dripped petroleum, and Itachi saw him with hope in his eyes, what confused and enraged Sasuke even more.

End of Chapter 34.


	35. Chapter 35: The Light

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its characters.**

Chapter 35: The Light.

Naruto and Hinata woke up, and Shikamaru boarded them, asking quickly:

- What the hell just happened?!

Hinata said, startled:

- T-the fight… is, in Sasuke's mind…

Everyone heard Hinata's reply, and Karin shrugged, concerned about the Uchiha kid. Juugo found himself struggling against his Heaven Curse Mark for the control of his body, and everyone noticed that this could be completely wrong. Karin yelled:

- With not a single active Sharingan, Juugo will lose his mind to the Seal!!

Kakashi heard this and uncovered his left eye, checking on Juugo, and seeing the chakra struggle inside his body. When Juugo saw his left eye froze, panting, and falling on his bottom on the floor. _He actually needs the Sharingan's influence to maintain control… damn!_

Inside Sasuke's mind, the total darkness was fiercely interrupted by a warm, silver light. Sasuke could see himself thanks to the light that emanated from Itachi. Sasuke, out of rage, tried to use his Mangekyou Tsukiyomi to counter Itachi's Hikari Tsukiyomi. The Genjutsu struggle turned even fiercer than that time in the Uchiha Training Complex.

Sasuke crucified Itachi and got close to him to stab swords on his abdomen, but as he got close, Itachi's light shone brighter and brighter, as he just stated:

- Simple Genjutsu fight. This is nothing more than a fight of wills, Sasuke.

Sasuke obscured the surroundings, attempting to become a black hole and swallow all of Itachi's silver light, but then the silver shine exploded, enlightening everything, and giving Sasuke a tough megrim. Both left the Tsukiyomi battle, but they didn't leave unharmed. Itachi had bleeding puncture wounds in his hands and feet, and Sasuke vomited more and more petroleum, feeling weak.

Outside, Suigetsu and Kisame fought still, after a third stop for drinking water. Shino, who checked out the surroundings, noticed the concern in Maki's expression. She took off her shoes and said:

- Shino-kun, we're being watched.

Shino had learned to trust Maki's perception of the waves provoked by impacts on the ground, so, after hearing his dearest's comment, he released an insect cloud, letting the swarm split and follow the chakras of those hidden watchers. Kisame noticed that a small cloud of insects threw itself inside the dunes and said:

- Someone's watching us, kid.

Suigetsu raised an eyebrow, as he saw a Hidden Leaf ninja fall from the roof, covered by insects:

- Should we deal with them first?

Kisame grinned, jumping to attack the dunes with Samehadam while Suigetsu slashed the ground, unearthed Zabuza's blade stained with a lot of blood.

Temari opened his large fan, and saw that one of the Leaf ninjas came out of nowhere, throwing himself against her. Others showed up, attacking both groups. Sakura ran with Kiba to support Karin and Juugo, as they knew that, if they died, then Sasuke _and_ Itachi would go next.

Asumi drew her whip and electrified it with her chakra, catching, slashing and shocking her enemies. Anko was quite surprised to see her pupil, but she grinned and drew out her snakes to attack another enemy. Chouji, decided to protect his friends this time, drew a large staff from a scroll, and fought against several shinobi, who were just stunned after seeing the great speed of the _fat_ ninja. Of course, they were bashed mercilessly until they fell to the ground.

Hagane used her iron to cover her body, and fought with Taijutsu. Lee, amazed by her strength and speed, also decided to fight, motivated by the self-imposed challenge of becoming faster and stronger than the Sand Jounin. Yuki couldn't fight as she must, due to the excessive heat, so she simply drew out a couple of scythes and started fighting to support Lee.

Ino used a Leaf ninja to fight with another while she herself fought side by side with Sai. The ex-Root drew out his kodachi, soaked with ink, and with a hand seal he transformed it in a large and poisonous sword. Everyone who was just sliced by it felt how his blood turned into ink.

Sasuke dripped petroleum through his mouth, ears, nose and eyes, and Itachi's hands and feet bled.

In sasuke's mind, the younger Uchiha started arming hand seals at a high speed, closing his right eye. Itachi understood what he was going to do and started doing the same, also at a very high speed. Sasuke ended up first, grinning like a demon as Itachi was covered by black flames. After a painful sting in his right eye, Sasuke bent down in pain, falling in his knees as he cried blood. As he saw that the black flames didn't even move, Sasuke realized something was wrong. Then, he saw how golden flames started consuming _and_ replacing his dark ones, and everything was bathed with gold light. Then, Sasuke himself was covered in golden flames, and Itachi's Sharingan, which had turned from silver to gold, stared at him. The older Uchiha said:

- You've hurt me, Sasuke; are you really willing to kill me that badly?

Sasuke noticed how Itachi's light shined even more, and used his Mangekyou Amaterasu again, seeing how his black flames were swallowed by the gold flames from the Hikari Amaterasu. Sasuke decided to use his last resource: his eyes changed, as he started spitting blood like mad, and the red skull of the Mangekyou Susano'o came out to protect him from the golden flames. Even so, the mirror shield of the red Susano'o was consumed by the golden flames, abd Sasuke noticed how the Hikari Sharingan of Itachi turned into a bright light blue tone, as the armor of the Hikari Susano'o surrounded him, in the same light blue tone. Itachi said, getting close to Sasuke:

- Now it's my turn to attack.

Sasuke saw how, even after his greatest effort, the red Susano'o was decapitated by the blue one. Sasuke, once more defeated, bleeding and vomiting petroleum, was raised up by Itachi, who touched his forehead with the fingertips, right between the eyes. After this, Itachi vanished, and everything around Sasuke started enlightening and started filling up with memories and information about the Uchiha Clan. Suddenly, Tsukiyomi, Amaterasu and Susano'o showed up before him. The God of the Earth and the Seas, Susano'o, spoke first:

- Sasuke Uchiha, you have received the light of the heavens. You descended to the deepest of the hell and the darkness, and now it's your turn to make your way to the light.

Sasuke was surprised and didn't know how to react. All of those sunken memories, both from himself and from several members of the Clan, many of them who, actually, were unknown to him, were taking their toll on his cool and dark attitude. He decided that _these Gods_ were nothing more than Itachi's simple Genjutsu, and he decided to use his Mangekyou Sharingan to destroy that illusion. Tsukiyomi got serious and asked:

- You just try to make this more difficult than necessary?

Sasuke claimed:

- My only goal in life is in darkness!! I cannot abandon **my revenge**!!

Tsukiyomi laughed soundly, his laughter echoing in Sasuke's thoughts, as he replied:

- If you plan to avenge the people who ordered the assassination of your family with more murders, you'll give them the chance to die peacefully! You'll just fulfill their goal in life like an idiot!! – Sasuke was shocked to hear Tsukiyomi: - Your revenge will be completely worthless if you kill them out of rage!!

Amaterasu spoke, with conciliating voice:

- Sasuke, they have to die anyways, as they're old and the world is claiming for their lives as payment for their sins. If you want to restore your Clan, embrace the light, embrace those you love, and embrace your brother, who tried to make you see the deep darkness, so you would repulse it and find your way through it, and who is now showing you the light, so you join it.

Sasuke, after hearing Amaterasu's soothing voice, felt strangely relaxed. As he noticed, he tried to recover his angry fire, but the Goddess of the Sun continued:

- They have to pay, Sasuke, and you already made Madara Uchiha, the master mind of that entire plan, pay. If you let yourself be ridden by your emotions, and particularly by your hatred, you'll become the one who has to pay for them. Embrace the light, listen to your heart, and bring light to your Clan and to your future offspring.

Sasuke felt the light of the three gods entering his body, his mind and his heart, also filling the space around him, his psyche and even his spirit. Of course, this forced him to start vomiting massive amounts of petroleum. Susano'o said:

- We shall let you start over again. Depending on your acts, you'll be able to embrace the real light, or go back to the darkness. You can shed light on your family, or sink with your parents, grandparents, relatives, and Madara Uchiha, deep in the hell of suffering, ambition and fear.

Amaterasu said, as he vomited more petroleum and cried black tears:

- You've got a girlfriend that, even when she's a pervert nut job, she's willing to give her life to protect you; you've got friends who, since their childhood, had dedicated their time to try and befriend you, and they feel hurt as they see you get sunken deeper still; you've got allies willing to follow you to the end of the world; you've got people willing to give you a second chance; and you've got a brother willing to stand by your side and guide you through the restoration of your Clan, and of the light in it.

Tsukiyomi, after seeing that Sasuke was clean, and that he panted, tired, saw Amaterasu and Susano'o, and the three touched Sasuke with two fingers between his eyes. Sasuke felt that a warm and large fire burned in his heart, and the Moon Watchman said:

- You've got the light in your body, and now you can use it through your eyes. It depends on you that it doesn't turn back into darkness. Goodbye.

Susano'o said:

- We shall give you the chance to start over, and recover the lost years. Goodbye.

Amaterasu spoke at last:

- Remember that you have people who worry about you, and who wish to se you happy. Don't turn your back on them to become that stupid "avenger" again, or you will end up dying without leaving a trace and sinking with your deaths in the hell instead of saving your family and restoring your Clan. Goodbye.

The three gods disappeared, and Sasuke's mind was enlightened and calm.

Outside, the fight ceased; there were wounded in the group, being attended by Sakura, Ino and Himawari. Shizune was wounded, so as Kirimaru, Sai, Lee, Yuki and Neji. Itachi woke up, with burns in his arms, and with pain in his eyes. Sasuke, on the other side, woke up vomiting a huge amount of petroleum, as he felt how this substance also came out from his eyes, nose and ears. He felt how his eyes changed, yelling in pain and, after expulsing everything, he fainted again. Karin, scared, said:

- Sasuke-kun!! I'll attend you!!

Itachi replied imperatively:

- Leave him alone. His body is still being reset, so as his mind and his spirit. When he wakes up, we can attend him. This **new** Sasuke will be a bit different, and it'd be a great idea to not take him back to his old self – He stumbled and said: -. I also, need, to, rest…

Itachi fainted again. The group stood up again, taking the wounded to the Hidden Sand Hospital. Itachi and Sasuke shared a room, both fainted. Karin was constantly beside Sasuke, containing her urge to throw herself over him and rape him as he slept. Sometimes, Suigetsu and Juugo accompanied her. On the other side, the most common visits for Itachi were his old ex-Akatsuki partners: Kisame, Zetsu and Konan, also visited often by Naruto and Hinata.

End of Chapter 35.

A/N: Happy New Years!! Sorry I didn't update for a while, but I got a busy week with the celebrations! Hope you enjoy it! And please review!


	36. Chapter 36: Three Weeks

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or its Characters.**

Chapter 36: Three Weeks.

In the hidden Root Complex, Danzou walked around, checking that his "new members" from the Leaf's Clans were doing their respective training sessions, and also their adaptation to the Three Seals. He lost a few ninjas in the raids to the different Hidden Villages that were stubbornly set against his plans, and this earning of the Clan's ninjas was an easy way for him to obtain more and more shinobi for his service.

On the other side, Kabuto and the Hidden Sound Ninjas were doing their best to adapt themselves to Danzou's attack and information gathering plans. Kabuto trained the medic ninjas and took some time to get his hands on particular medic ninja techniques that Tsunade Senju left before she died.

The Hidden Grass Village's leader was easily taken out, and Danzou's puppet leader was granting him with their ninjas and with free and protected passage through the Grass lands to attack the Hidden Rock.

Danzou, satisfied with how things were going this far, decided to go back to his office. He used to spend hours checking on the Uchiha and Hyuuga ancient scrolls, trying to learn as much as possible from their techniques and fighting styles. Now he'd check on the Uchiha Table, and find out as much about their special Doujutsu skills.

Of course, he learned a lot about the Mangekyou Sharingan, and he used to spend some time practicing with both his right eye and his right arm's grafted Sharingan eyes.

Else, after sending his agents, and with Kabuto's information, he found the main hideout of Akatsuki. He had collected lots of information about Akatsuki in the last ten years, mainly about their goals and their methods, but what intrigued him most was the infamous Prison Statue of Nine Eyes. Now that he had found it, and that his original "owner" was gone for good, thanks to the Uchiha brat, he decided to claim it as is.

Three weeks later, he was still in his office, studying the information gathered about the Prison Statue, so as the rest of the collected information. There had to be any way to recover the captive Tailed Beasts from it; and Danzou swore that he'd find it.

Also, the Sixth Hokage had found the Scrolls of Madara Uchiha, and he had taken his time to learn the elder's techniques. He focused in learning only one of his techniques: the Inter-Dimensional Dark Safe was quickly learned; and Danzou made himself with Madara Uchiha's accumulated chakra deposit in his own safe.

He would use this great power to win this war, by controlling the Tailed Beasts, and perhaps even absorbing their Chakra to make himself live longer, and, once he defeated every single one of his enemies, retain the Elemental Nations under his grasp for as long as he could.

In the Hidden Sand Village, meanwhile, Naruto and Hinata woke up together, hugged in their futon. Hinata pulled Naruto over her and said, hugging him:

- Naruto-kun… i-if I told you, that I don't want to go out today…

Naruto smirked:

- I'd tell you that I didn't think of letting you go out, Hinata-chan…

- Then, don't let go of me…

The two teenagers, blushing, started making out playfully, giggling and chuckling as they tickled and caressed each other, lonely as they were. After that, they started rising the rhythm of their make-out, passionately making love in that futon. As they finished, they rested for a while, then they got up to make breakfast. As they had breakfast, they heard how the front door was knocked desperately. Hinata, in such a Naruto-like gesture, yelled:

- We're having breakfast! What's up?

Naruto chuckled after hearing Hinata, and the Hyuuga girl blushed furiously, realizing what she had just done. At the other side of the door, the voice of Kiba sounded quite excited:

- You'll want to come with us, guys!

Sakura, also excited, said:

- Sasuke woke up, finally!

Hinata turned happy, seeing Naruto, and he said:

- Okay, okay! When we're done here, we'll go!

Hinata completed:

- You go now! We'll m-meet you there!

Kiba's and Sakura's steps could be heard running far from the door, and Hinata asked:

- Naruto-kun… you think that…?

Naruto noticed her concern, and took a hand softly to her cheek:

- If he's changed for good, then there's nothing to worry about; and if he's still the same bastard, then I shall protect you from him.

Hinata returned the gesture with a kiss, whispering to his lips:

- If he keeps being like before, then **I'll protect you**, Naruto-kun…

Naruto returned the kiss tenderly and, as they finished eating, they went to their restaurant. They made sure to make enough shadow clones, in order to open the restaurant, they prepared a meal for Sasuke, and then they left to the Hidden Sand Hospital. Once there, they saw that everyone was waiting in the door: the Twelve of the Leaf and their company, Gaara and his people, the ex-Leaf Jounin, Itachi and the ex-Akatsuki ninjas, and the members of the Team Hawk. Naruto was surprised to see even Iruka Umi-no and the young Konohamaru Sarutobi, right beside Hanabi Hyuuga. Naruto asked:

- Why isn't anyone in there watching him?

Shino answered:

- Apparently, he wants to see only you, Naruto.

Naruto started suspecting, but then Itachi said, as Konan nodded seriously:

- We're watching your backs, Naruto.

Naruto entered the room, and saw Sasuke sitting in the hospital bed. Naruto noticed the anger in his face and he immediately realized something was wrong. He stood on guard, and Sasuke asked:

- Naruto… how much time has passed, since I left the village?

Naruto was a bit surprised with the question, but he said:

- Four and a half years, Sasuke…

Sasuke asked, lifting his eyes heavily:

- And… what happened? Why are we in the Hidden Sand, instead of the Hidden Leaf?

- The Fifth Hokage was murdered, and Danzou took her place. The ones here are the last free members of the Leaf's Clans: Me, from the Namikaze Clan; Itachi and you, from the Uchiha Clan; Hinata, Neji and Hanabi from the Hyuuga Clan; Konohamaru, from the Sarutobi Clan; Kiba, from the Inuzuka Clan; Shino, from the Aburame Clan; Shikamaru, from the Nara Clan; Chouji, from the Akimichi Clan; Ino, from the Yamanaka Clan; Maki, from the Yamada Clan; and also some trustful Chuunin and Jounin.

Sasuke, accounting for the people that Naruto just mentioned, asked:

- And, why did you run?

Naruto stated firmly:

- So we could fight, search for allies, and recover the Leaf Village.

Sasuke looked down again after Naruto's last response:

- And, do you think that they will accept a traitor-to-everyone in their lines?

Naruto grinned:

- No, if you keep acting, thinking and feeling as such; but if you don't consider yourself as such anymore, and if you desire to return to our side in order to fix your mistakes and do the right thing, then you're more than welcome.

Sasuke sighed and just asked:

- What about Orochimaru?

Naruto frowned as he answered:

- That sick bastard of Kabuto grafted his snake skin to try and gain his power, and now he's allied to the Sixth Hokage bastard.

Sasuke growled in disgust and hatred, frowning:

- Sick disgrace… what about Akatsuki?

Naruto grinned:

- As you wasted Madara Uchiha, and as they decided to try and go back to their former lives, they're on our side.

Sasuke noticed Naruto's expression and dropped his sight again, asking:

- And my brother?

Naruto asked, teasing:

- Which of both?

Sasuke couldn't avoid a chuckle and said:

- The two of them: my blood brother and my soul brother.

Naruto smiled this time and said:

- Itachi's outside, waiting for you to recover so he can teach you about your new shared Doujutsu, and also willing to assist you, so you don't go back to your old darkness. On the other hand, your soul brother is still in pain since that day you tried to kill him, four and a half years ago.

Sasuke let a couple of tears fall from his eyes, frowning as he clenched his fists in the bed:

- Naruto… if you ever see him again, tell him that I can understand if he still can't forgive me for that, and tell him that I ask him for a second chance.

Naruto noticed that Sasuke wasn't acting or bluffing, as he saw him break his "tough guy" mask for the first time in a long time. He replied:

- He's already offering it to you, Sasuke. If not, he wouldn't even be here talking to you, _brother_.

Sasuke glanced to Naruto, who smiled seriously to him. They shook hands, and Sasuke asked:

- Thank you, **brother**… Is Karin out there, just casually?

Naruto heard the excitement moans of the red-headed girl on the other of the door and chuckled:

- Sure as hell. She's been hearing everything. Should I tell her to come in?

Sasuke, also chuckling, replied:

- Let them all come in. I need to speak to them.

The whole group came in. Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo stood at Sasuke's right side, while Naruto, Hinata and Itachi stood to his left. Sakura and Kakashi stood in front of him, and Kiba and Akamaru were right beside her, while Anko was hugging Kakashi's arm.

Gaara and Himawari stood at the door, while Konohamaru and Hanabi ran to the sides of their brothers (even when Naruto and Konohamaru aren't exactly blood brothers, they see each other as such).

Neji and Tenten sat in the window; Kurenai, with her baby in her arms, Guy, Shizune and Yamato stood behind Kakashi, and Shino, Maki, Shikamaru and Temari stood in the corners of the room, each couple in a corner.

Kankurou and the three Sand Jounin ninjas: Hagane, Dorou and Kirimaru, stood behind Naruto, while Chouji and Asumi waited in the door, behind Gaara, and both Ino and Sai stood behind the Team Hawk. Kisame was beside Suigetsu, while Zetsu and Hatsuhana watched from the ceiling, and Konan was beside Itachi. Sasuke saw them and said:

- I've called you here to tell you that I've completed my revenge. Madara Uchiha has passed away, and now I can restore my Clan, beside my brother, with a renewed light.

Sasuke turned to Itachi:

- Brother, I'm really sorry for not even understanding a word of what you said, and for not seeing "underneath the underneath". I guess I still need a lot of training in that subject.

Itachi nodded and replied gently:

- And I think we all can help you with that, little brother.

Sasuke turned to Kakashi:

- Master Kakashi… I talked to your friend, Obito…

Kakashi even got scared, but Sasuke continued:

- He was the only Uchiha who didn't have the time to get consumed by the darkness, and he even preferred to die in the light than to live in the darkness. He's right beside the Gods of Light, and he asked me to give light to your Sharingan, so you don't have to go through what we had to, and so he could rest in peace.

Sasuke turned to Itachi, and the older brother took off the headband from Kakashi's left eye, activating his Hikari Tsukiyomi. Kakashi felt how the silver, gold and bright blue lights penetrated deep in his eye, and after being touched in the forehead by Itachi's fingertips, he felt a strong headache, passing out after that.

Kakashi, recognizing himself inside his own mind, saw his old friend, Obito Uchiha, as grown up as him, and happy. Obito said:

- Kakashi… you're the alst survivor of our whole squad…

Kakashi, crying, jumped to hug his old friend:

- No matter how cold and careless I try to be, I can't stop missing you all… so as master Minato…

Obito said, also shedding a tear:

- Master Minato lives inside his own son, Kakashi; Rin rests in peace in heaven; and I still live in your left eye… but now I can rest in peace… Thanks, Kakashi…

Kakashi saw him vanish, and then he opened his eyes, crying, but with a smile under his mask. Then he saw a strange but beautiful scene: Anko was _smiling gently_ to him, saying softly:

- Kakashi… come on, get up, please…

_Anko behaving gently… where am I?_ Kakashi took Anko's hand and she helped him get up. Kakashi noticed how his left eye started recovering sight, neatness and shine, and Sasuke said:

- You showed me how to use my own bloodline trait, master Kakashi, and now I give you the most powerful technique of the Sharingan, so we can train together with this new Hikari Sharingan.

Kakashi, smiling, bowed towards Sasuke. The young Uchiha said then:

- I know very well that I've not been the best role model to follow, not even the best representative of my Clan, but, in the name of the Uchiha Clan, I want to apologize to you for all I've done.

Turning to Naruto and Sakura, he said:

- To those who gave me their friendship, and who received, in exchange, my coldest despise…

Turning to Itachi and Kakashi, said:

- To those who tried to lead me out of my darkness, which I despised in favor of my childish and irrational hatred…

Turning to the ex-Leaf Jounin, he said:

- To those who had hopes to see me grow and become someone respectable, and whom I turned my back on to earn power at all cost…

Glancing to the Hawk Team, Sasuke said:

- To those who followed me and supported me, while I just used them to fulfill my desires…

Taking Karin's hand, he said:

- To those who made me feel loved during my latest days, even when I didn't pay them any attention…

Lowering his sight, he said, shedding another tear:

- And to all those who I didn't name, but that I know they risked their lives to help me avoid the hell my life had become… I'm really ashamed to even see you in the eye, but I'm really grateful to still have you present in my life…

Karin noticed how he let more tears fall down, concerned, and heard him say:

- I want to join you back; no matter how much time you consider it's necessary to test my loyalty and my will.

Gaara talked then, making Sasuke sad:

- You almost killed your best friend, and betrayed the Hidden Leaf Village to join their enemy, Orochimaru. You killed him, to then murder your brother Itachi. Then, you joined Madara Uchiha, and with him to Akatsuki, and then you tried to slay the Five Kages.

Sasuke bent down in the bed, crying harder as he clenched his fists, but Gaara said, surprising him:

- I must say that, in the end, you ended up doing the right things on the wrong reasons. You made the Kages unite; well, four of them; you murdered Orochimaru, even when Kabuto rescued his power by the most disgusting way I've ever heard. Also, you slayed Madara Uchiha, and made your partners become really strong. I must say that, since you became an avenger, you've done lots of favors to us, and if you want to join us, then there's one last test for you.

Sasuke got up again, drying his tears, and Gaara continued:

- Sasuke, we found that Danzou has gained access to the Statue where Madara Uchiha gathered and imprisoned the Tailed Beasts so far, and we found out that he's planning to use them to attack the Hidden Villages. Naruto has provided us with an idea that could help us counter this threat, and we think you're the one to provide us with what we need to accomplish this idea.

Naruto spoke then:

- Almost all of the seals done on the Demon's hosts only contained the Tailed Beasts' Yang energies. As we give them their respective Yin energy back, the Tailed Beasts would become, in theory, killing machines, to become creatures capable of reasoning, acting, thinking, feeling and perceiving by intuition.

Sasuke, understanding, asked:

- How do you know that, Naruto?

Naruto replied:

- I merged Kyuubi's Yin energy inside my body, completing her Yang-only chakra, and the change in her has been surprising. We've even become friends, if it's possible to use that word, but yes. And she proposed that you and your team go to Madara Uchiha's hideout and search for the Yin scrolls, which were in his possession. So, whenever Danzou unleashes the demons, Hinata-chan and I could complete the creatures' chakras and try reasoning with them, while you attempt avoiding Danzou from controlling them with his Sharingan.

Konan said:

- We're coordinating a full invasion to the Hidden Leaf with the assistance of the Hidden Rock, Mist, Cloud and Rain Villages. We also know that all the Clans' members were transformed into mindless ANBU Root agents; and that their authority figures, the Elders' Counselors, were murdered. We have a month to prepare the attack. You should train harder and help us by giving us as much information on the Clans as you can.

Sasuke turned to Karin, and she nodded seriously. Suigetsu turned to Kisame and then glanced to Sasuke, nodding. Juugo had nothing to say: his eyes showed resolution. Sasuke said:

- When shall we get out? And, how much time do we have?

Gaara said:

- You have a week to fulfill the mission: return with the eight scrolls. If you see the statue, debrief us on how many demons it has inside, and how many ninjas watch it.

Sasuke said:

- We'll get out when I'm prepared. I need clothes, weapons and a katana. On the other side, I'm starving, and I have no money.

Naruto smiled and Hinata said, showing Sasuke a closed box:

- T-the Restaurant of the Dragon and the Toad brought you lunch.

After seeing the smile of the couple, Sasuke took the food and ate pleasantly. Naruto said:

- When you get back, visit our restaurant. There's a dish you'll surely like.

Sasuke saw them and smiled too. _Naruto, Hinata Hyuuga has surely changed you, heh, heh._

End of Chapter 36.


	37. Chapter 37: A New Mission

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****Naruto.**

Chapter 37: A New Mission.

Three days passed, and Sasuke had finally come out of the hospital. He spoke alone with Itachi, seeing a chance to do so as Juugo spent some time with Kakashi, or alone, as Karin spoke to the Hidden leaf guys, and as Suigetsu trained with Kisame. Sasuke asked, seeing the morning light in the desertic village:

- Itachi… when did you discover all of this?

- The day I died fighting against you, Sasuke…

Sasuke turned to see the merry face of his brother and said:

- I learned Madara Uchiha's transportation technique when I was with him. Do you think that it might actually work, as my eyes' purpose has completely changed?

Itachi stared at Sasuke and laid a hand on his shoulder:

- That's not a technique of the Mangekyou Sharingan, Sasuke, so I think you can use it.

Sasuke asked, at last:

- Brother, another question.

Itachi nodded:

- Sure; fire away.

- How is that of Danzou having a Sharingan **and** a Byakugan? Wasn't that one of the requirements for the forbidden technique that was in the Uchiha's hands, so as in the Hyuuga's?

Itachi startled after hearing Sasuke:

- The hell, yes… I have completely forgotten about it, Sasuke… And, with that technique, he can not only control the Tailed Beasts, but he also can use the vital energy of others as payment for using Sealing Techniques like the one used by the Fourth Hokage.

Sasuke saw Itachi, concerned, and said:

- We'd better give this information to the group at once. If Danzou goes after the Rin'negan, then everyone must be warned. Let's go get my team, warn Gaara about this, and then you tell the rest, as I go on my new mission.

Itachi nodded, and both went in search for the group.

Juugo was walking through the streets alone, speaking with some of the desert animals: scorpions, snakes and lizards. Sasuke saw him and said:

- Good morning, Juugo. Already gathering information?

Juugo saw Sasuke and greeted him:

- Hello, Sasuke. No; actually, I was just chatting around. Are we leaving now?

- Sure. Get ready and we should go.

Juugo let the animals walk away and followed the Uchiha brothers. Sasuke changed his clothes already, returning to his old blue shirt, white pants and bandaged arms. As they walked through a street, they saw the Restaurant of the Dragon and the Toad, and they saw that Naruto and Hinata talked to Shino and Maki. There were others from the group there, and Karin talked to Tenten and Neji. The trio entered, greeting everyone. As he realized that every single waiter and waitress at work was _a_ Naruto or _a_ Hinata, Sasuke couldn't avoid a grin:

- And that's the utility they found for a Jounin-level technique like the Shadow Clone. I just can't believe it.

They all laughed. Karin invited Sasuke to sit and ordered something for him to have breakfast. He got a dish with small rice cakes. The Hinata waitress who brought the food said:

- T-this is the breakfast of t-the day, S-Sasuke. T-these are rice cakes, filled with t-tofu and soy beans, dressed with sauce, spices and local vegetables. Naruto-kun prepared it.

Sasuke was atunned to hear that, so he decided to taste the cake, and immediately realized that the taste was just delicious. The Hinata waitress giggled after seeing Sasuke's satisfied expression, and he ended up eating quite fast, "Naruto-eating-ramen-like" fast. After finishing the breakfast, satisfied, Sasuke talked for a bit with Neji and Tenten, and then he made signs to Karin, meaning that they had to leave. Karin waved goodbye to everyone and left, hugging Sasuke's arm.

After walking for a while, Sasuke chatted with Karin for a while:

- I still can't believe that those rice cakes were prepared by Naruto! As far as I can remember, he couldn't eat anything different than ramen!

Karin, laughing, said:

- Sure, they're both excellent chefs, Sasuke; when we recover the Hidden Leaf, we shall convince them to take the restaurant there.

Sasuke laughed too and replied:

- There's no need to tell them anything, Karin. Believe me – After that, his expression turned more concerned, and he whispered at her: -. Are you ready for this, Karin?

- S-sure, Sasuke.

- I need you to be focused; I don't want to lose you, Karin.

Sasuke blushed a bit, and Karin hugged him, blushing furiously:

- I don't want to lose you either, Sasuke.

Sasuke returned the gesture caressing her red hair and kissing her lips softly. Then he said:

- Let's get Suigetsu and leave.

In a closed, wide room, with the air conditioner turned on, Suigetsu and Kisame trained sword fighting hardly. Suigetsu panted on the floor, and Kisame drank some water, throwing the bottle to the young swordsman so he could drink too. The shark-man saw the group who just arrived and said:

- Hmm, your people is ready, Suigetsu. You better take some water before you're going out, and some more for the way.

Suigetsu received the bottle and drank water with haste. When he finished, he returned the bottle and said:

- You're ready then, I take it?

The group nodded and Itachi said:

- Well, Gaara waits for you; I'll spend some time here chatting with Kisame.

Sasuke hugged Itachi and he returned the gesture, saying:

- Don't even think of facing Danzou if you see him; the same goes for the Chief Advisors Homura and Koharu.

Sasuke nodded, and both he and his teammates left. After seeing them leave, Kisame turned to Itachi and asked:

- You seem to be worried, Itachi. What's wrong?

Itachi saw him and said:

- I've just realized something terrible, Kisame. Something I should have foreseen.

In the Kazekage's office, Gaara and Himawari met Sasuke and the Team Hawk. Himawari unfolded the map of the continent, marking the eight hideouts of Akatsuki, and Gaara said:

- These are Akatsuki's hideouts, as Zetsu has informed me. The hideout containing the statue is here – Gaara pointed the hideout located in the Fire Country, far from the Hidden Leaf: -. Even so, I refure to think Madara didn't know better than hiding everything related to the Tailed Beasts, all in the same place.

Sasuke nodded, replying:

- The mission is to bring the scrolls and to see what is the Leaf trying to do with Pain's Nine-Eyed Statue.

- Right – Gaara's reply was serious: -. Danzou's forces must have received the three seals for now, so try not to get in touch with them. Danzou can know when one of his agents dies, and has the capability to reinforce that particular place within minutes.

Suigetsu comprehended, and Juugo made a sign to Sasuke, who understood. The Uchiha said:

- Then we're leaving – He saw the map with his Sharingan and memorized the marked places in it as search points: -. We shall bring the scrolls as we find them.

Sasuke used his Eye Vortex technique and teleported the whole Hawk Team. Gaara saw them leave and said:

- I sure hope this works out good, Himawari-chan.

Himawari caressed his hair:

- Don't worry, Gaara-kun, everything is going to be fine.

Gaara smiled at the yellow-orange-haired girl, and then they continued with the devilish paperwork.

Konohamaru Sarutobi walked through the streets of the Hidden Sand, checking out what he could find over there for having some fun. _Master Iruka is with the Jounin and boss Naruto is in the restaurant. What can be over here to have some good fun?_

Suddenly, a sweet voice yelled behind him, a bit far:

- Konohamaru!

Konohamaru turned to see who called him, and got surprised to see this lavender-eyed girl running towards him:

- Hanabi? I don't mean to be rude, but, weren't you training with your sister's clones?

Hanabi Hyuuga, blushed, said:

- Um, no, the truth is… I-I've been looking for you the whole morning, Konohamaru!

Konohamaru smiled, blushed and ashamed, and asked:

- Ehm, well, heh, heh, what can I do you for, H-Hanabi?

Hanabi joined her hands together in a nervous gesture, turning her sight away as she stuttered endlessly, what made Konohamaru see in her a reflex of her older sister:

- Um, w-well, i-i-it's just that, K-Konohamaru… m-may I go with you?

Konohamaru blushed deep red as he saw her so shy. _For the Lord's sake!_ _Now the hell froze over! The two daughters of Lord Hyuuga fallen in love with the Leaf's jokers… Ha! Also, they seem to be just equally shy with the guys…_ Hanabi said, intertwining her fingers and drumming with them:

- I-It's just that, w-well, you're the only… the only guy I-I know around here, and… a-and, I like you… - Hanabi turned to Konohamaru and said: - W-well, then, w-what do you say? May I g-go with you?

Konohamaru weighed his options. _This is a bit odd, dating a girl who is a mixture between Hinata and Tenten, who, over everything, is a Hyuuga… On the other hand, we use to have some fun with the same things, so it's worth the risk._ He smiled, extending a hand to her and said:

- I thought about looking for a place to have some fun around here, but… - After seeing Hanabi's deep red face, said: - But I think I'll have some more fun with you. Let's go.

Hanabi smiled back and took his hand, and both started walking around and chatting.

In the Sand's streets, Itachi and Kisame walked to the Kazekage's building. Kisame, drinking another bottle of water, was pretty concerned:

- Son of a bitch… so he can do **that**?

- Yes… but it shouldn't be as powerful as Nagato's one, because this one is _artificial_.

- Hmm, but even so, that should be a major problem; if he has access granted to Madara's Eight Tailed Beasts then who knows what the hell he's capable to do with them.

Itachi glared at him, frowning:

- I guess I have an idea about that. Let's go talk to Gaara.

End of Chapter 37.

A/N: I know, short chapter, but don't worry. It's almost completed in paper, so you'll just have to wait for a little longer until it's ready. Enjoy and review!


	38. Chapter 38: The Eight Scrolls

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto at all.**

**After sooo long, I've finally been able to write again. ****I'm really sorry for all the readers who have been waiting since the last year, but my college was taking my time away. Still, I'm back to write a little more for you.**

Chapter 38: The Eight Scrolls.

Team Hawk was already checking the fourth hideout of Akatsuki. The first one was completely destroyed, as if it was exploded from the inside. The second one had been completely plundered, and what was left from it was burned to the ground. The third one was heavily watched by Hidden Leaf Ninjas of the Clan Aburame, and they had to rely a lot in Juugo's wits to make an insect-eater bird band allow them to get in and out. Even so, that one wasn't the right place either.

The fourth hideout was in the Lightning Country's territory, thirty miles from the Hidden Cloud Village. They finally made it to the entrance, and Sasuke used his Sharingan to check it from having any traps. As he approved, the platoon got inside.

Karin smelled and warned:

- They haven't come inside here… yet.

After activating his Sharingan again, he saw that this hideout was huge, and like some kind of a maze. He growled:

- Goddamn it! Where the hell is Naruto when you need him?

In the Hidden Sand Village, Naruto walked down the streets handheld with Hinata, when, all of a sudden, he sneezed with great force. Hinata noticed his surprise and asked:

- Naruto-kun, a-are you okay?

- I felt my whole spine shivering downwards with that sneeze, Hinata-chan…

Hinata giggled a bit:

- Someone talks badly of you, Naruto-kun!

In the cave, meanwhile, Karin claimed:

- And not just him! His girlfriend, that shy Hyuuga girl, she could be of use to us too! The hell!

In the Hidden Sand, Hinata coughed, feeling the same. As she made Naruto know that, he laughed:

- Someone's also speaking crap of you, Hinata-chan!

Both ninjas laughed together, going back to the restaurant after a long training session.

After checking the whole place, Sasuke found one of the secret rooms of the base. He activated his Hikari Sharingan and touched some stones with his hands. The piece of wall got open at once, and a dark hall appeared. The group entered, and the wall closed behind them.

In the Kazekage's office, meanwhile, Itachi and Kisame talked privately to Gaara. The Kazekage spoke first:

- Hmm, this _is_ a serious problem… why didn't you tell me about this before, Itachi?

Itachi Uchiha, ashamed, replied:

- I knew nothing of this. Sasuke informed me that, according to the deceased Madara Uchiha, the effects of that Doujutsu could be emulated with both the Sharingan and the Byakugan.

Kisame said:

- In Akatsuki we had the only member of our generation who was born with that Doujutsu within him, and his powers were many. It was, put simply, a Ninjutsu _master_.

Gaara said then, looking at his papers:

- Then… this is really bad…

Kisame said:

- We investigated the Uchiha Clan's texts when we knew that Danzou had become Hokage. The profanation of such a prestigious couple of Clans in a same body can give him one of the seven powers of the Rin'negan. It won't give him the seven, as the original one does.

Itachi replied then:

- But still, any of the seven that he uses will be enough to make a huge mess.

Gaara claimed:

- Explain that to me, please.

Itachi said:

- The Seven Paths of Pain allowed the Rin'negan user the mastery in seven skills: full control of the Five Changes in Chakra Nature, domain of all the Summonings who have no active contracts, intuitive handling of Taijutsu (only a real master could reach that level), full control of the Chakra Absorption technique, full control of the legendary technique of Magnetic Attraction _and_ Repulsion, control of the Celestial Techniques, and full control of the Forbidden Art of the Souls' Transmigration.

Kisame explained:

- Madara Uchiha wanted to join the Nine Tailed Beasts into one, and bring the legendary Ten-Tailed Demon back to life, so he could seal it in his body, using Nagato's Forbidden Art of the Souls' Transmigration to revive, and become a second Rikudo Sage.

Gaara said:

- Then, it shouldn't be illogical to think that Danzou wants to do this; as he has got access to the Yang energies of eight Tailed Beasts, he'll try to do the same, now that Madara is out of the way.

Itachi said:

- Yes, it's quite predictable somehow, but-

In that moment, a vortex appeared in the office, and the Hawk Team carried the eight large scrolls. Suigetsu said:

- We bring the scrolls. They're identified.

Juugo replied:

- We could find them just by sheer luck, and escape before the hideout was found by the Root Ninjas… I mean, the Leaf Ninjas.

Suigetsu and Kisame chuckled, but Karin replied:

- Now, we're going to check out what's going on with the statue, right?

Gaara raised a hand and said:

- Excellent work. That's still hanging up, but I can see you're tired, and you seem hungry too. You'll go out tomorrow, first hour in the morning, to check that out.

Gaara took some money from his desk and paid a strong amount of money to the platoon:

- This is your paycheck for completing an S-rank mission. You may take a break.

Sasuke took the money, sharing it with his team equally. Then he said, serious:

- Have you found anything about the problem caused by Danzou and his profanation of both the Uchiha and Hyuuga Clans?

Itachi said:

- We're tracing the possible scenarios right now, brother. When we have them, we'll call Konan and the Kages to prepare the definitive offensive.

Sasuke grinned at Itachi and said:

- We cannot waste any more time, nor allowing him the first strike.

After this, the group bowed to Gaara and left, heading directly to the Restaurant of the Toad and the Dragon.

As they arrived, they found themselves attended by clones of both Naruto and Hinata. They ordered the food and sat down. Karin asked, curious:

- Hey! With all this heavy duty, when do you train?

A Naruto replied:

- The original us are training now in the training ground 15, there's only clones in the restaurant now.

Suigetsu laughed:

- Damn, you're quite clever. How about your training, by the way?

A Hinata who was bringing the food to them answered, whispering:

- Progressing quite fast. Kyuubi is an excellent teacher.

Sasuke almost choked when he heard that, and asked, barely lowering his voice:

- Is that… **thing**… training you!?

As he saw both the Naruto and the Hinata nod, he felt a sudden stab of envy and competitiveness in his mind. In that moment, another Naruto and another Hinata entered the restaurant, with their clothes dirty of sand, but revitalized and strong. They saluted:

- Hey, guys!

- Welcome!

- How is it that you're training with-

In that moment, Juugo threw a hand to block Sasuke's mouth:

- Watch it, Sasuke, we're being watched outside the restaurant.

Hinata, quite alert, activated her Byakugan and found the spy, sitting in the street like a bum with ninja earphones. She searched for microphones in the restaurant and found three under several tables. She took them off carefully, covering them as she whispered to Naruto:

- The spy is an Inuzuka, my dear, how about a loud yell?

Naruto grinned evilly and and raised the volume of the microphones. He took some air and yelled with the most annoying voice he ever had:

- WHY THE HELL ARE YOU KIDS TRYING TO SNEAK BEHIND THE KITCHEN?!?

Hinata, seeing how that Inuzuka spy was severely affected by the first yell, made one of her own, with unseen anger:

- WHOEVER DARES TO SNEAK BEHIND THE KITCHEN WILL BE BANISHED FROM THIS RESTAURANT!!!

Sakura and Kiba took Akamaru for a ride when they stepped in front of the restaurant. Akamaru barked and Kiba noticed the inert body of a member of his Clan, bleeding profusely through his ears. Kiba saw that, even if he was a cousin of his, he had converted, at a very short age, to the forces of Root. He saw the bleeding earphones and took the kid's body. Sakura noticed that he still had pulse, and saw Naruto and Hinata leave the restaurant. She said:

- What the hell is this?

Hinata replied, ashamed, looking at Kiba:

- H-h-he was a s-spy for D-Da-Danzou, g-guys; I-I'm s-s-sorry!

Naruto said:

- But he's still alive, if you wish to interrogate him, or release him from the three seals.

Kiba said:

- If that bastard Hokage sealed all the members of all the Clans, then we're in big trouble. Let's go, Sakura!

The couple left with the kid, running to the hospital.

Konohamaru and Hanabi were walking through the village, happy, searching for places where to have fun. They had seen the parks, the places that were turned into greenhouse, and also the highest dunes of the Hidden Sand, and now they walked to an ambulant fair that had entered the village a week ago. Hanabi was heavily blushed, taking Konohamaru's hand, and she was quite happy:

- K-Konohamaru-kun, s-should we go to the fair?

- Sure! Those fairs are never bad!

Hanabi was a little ashamed, and she lowered her sight, sadly:

- I-I've never b-been into a… a fair, before…

Konohamaru smiled and replied:

- You'll see what you've been missing, Hanabi-chan! Let's go!

_He called me Hanabi-CHAN!_ Hanabi felt a soft pull in her hand, and she ran beside the young Sarutobi, reaching the fair, and watching a lot of games and food selling places. Konohamaru said, with a smile on his face:

- The condition to play here is that, if we're going to use any ninja skills, we must hide them from the crowd. Even better, let's try not to use them.

Hanabi nodded, as she was smiling and blushed as red as a Hinata. They entered the fair and started playing any kind of games together.

Temari and Shikamaru walked peacefully together through the streets of the Hidden Sand, when they saw Ino running through the streets, almost dragging a Sai who was already used to the blonde Yamanaka's "shopping days". Temari laughed:

- Well, you can't give money that girl and put her in front of a clothing store.

- Yeah, Ino is quite troublesome with that.

- Hey, today is particularly hot. How about if we drink something, Shika-kun?

- Anything so we get away from Ino's sight, Temari-chan.

Temari giggled, blushed, and Shikamaru smiled at her ironically, making her giggle uncontrollably. As they entered a small soda fountain, they saw Chouji and Asumi and sat with them, chatting for a while.

Gaara was still meeting with Itachi and Kisame when Zetsu arrived. Gaara saw him coming out of the roof and said:

- We've got the scrolls, and when Naruto gets free from the work we shall ask him to identify them with Kyuubi's assistance. Could you see what I asked you for, Zetsu?

Hatsuhana came out by the roof also, beside Zetsu. Her white half said:

- We split the job, and we could see what you asked us for. It was quite simple.

The black Zetsu said:

- Danzou obtained the Uchiha Tables and the Hyuuga Scrolls, and now he's checking its contents.

The white Zetsu added:

- He has kept them safely, and heavily guarded, but I could see the whole information in them. I've got pictures.

The black Hatsuhana spoke:

- The Clans were completely taken, and every single Ninja of the Hidden Leaf is being marked by Danzou. The man is a dictator, and his elders are still trying to slay the Feudal Lord of the Fire Country. I heard that they were making plans for that. They'll try again in five days from now.

Gaara said:

- I'll summon a meeting with our allies in the Feudal Lord Shukka's castle. You'll be in charge of the village's defense.

The quartet nodded, realizing the severity of the situation. Gaara saw Himawari, who was entering the office, and said:

- Please, tell Temari, Shikamaru and Kankurou that I need them to take my place. The Jounin will come with us.

Himawari nodded, and the quartet left the office.

End of Chapter 38.

A/N: I'm sorry for the 5-month delay. The college had me completely nuts, and now that I could catch some breath I could finally restart the transcription of this story into digital. I have it almost finished on the paper, and I'm sure you'll enjoy what I've got. Please read and review!


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